World Without Logos
by Starlight's Poet
Summary: Yuuichiro Hyakuya was a human being who wanted to kill Vampires. Had he met Guren Ichinose, he would have accomplished this goal as a member of the JIDA. Fate, however, had other plans. Now, Yuu hunts vampires...as the fledgling of the Hellsing Organization's hunting dog. Now a vampire himself, how will Yuu cope with his descent into darkness? Rated M for Violence and Gore
1. I

Disclaimer: I do not own Seraph of the End or Hellsing. Both are products of Takaya Kagami and Kouta Hirano respectively. The only thing I own are the series of events that transpire and the massive amounts of bloodshed and gore.

* * *

 **A Seraph of the End x Hellsing Crossover:**

 _ **"World Without Logos"**_

* * *

 _Vampires._

 _In ancient legend and myth, they are the true rulers of the night. Blood sucking creatures, who command otherworldly forces and feed on the necks of poor, unfortunate souls._

 _However, unknown to the masses, there exists an organization, who's task is to eliminate these creatures. They are known as the Hellsing Organization._

 _Within the Hellsing Organization is a powerful creature. A vampire, beyond the likes of which ordinary men have never seen. He is feared by vampire and humankind alike, and is known by many names._

 _The ultimate vampire. Hellsing's guard dog. The No Life King._

 _...Alucard._

 _This, is the story of a soul who's fate becomes entangled within this world of darkness._

 _"In the name of God, impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation. Amen."_

* * *

 **-I-  
THE NO LIFE SERAPH**

* * *

"It's a full moon tonight... What a lovely night for a stroll."

Japan had changed considerably. No longer were its boisterous and crowded cities filled with life. Instead, they had become desolate with death and decay as its occupants. Rotten corpses, reduced to mere bones, decorated its pavement and silence hung in the air like a noose, choking the life out of any stragglers. The once beautiful forests that made up a good few major sights for tourists were not much better. The trees were laid bare, exposed to the elements while a thick blanket of snow covered the ground. The night air was cold indeed.

Tonight, only a single soul traversed these barren lands. A tall, imposing figure clad in read with raven black hair, eyes hidden behind a pair of orange sunglasses and a wide-brim hat atop his head, hands adorned in pristine white gloves marked by mysterious sigils. The snow crunched beneath his feet as he walked, pausing only briefly to admire the beautiful moon hanging overhead in the starry night sky.

"I once heard that Japan was famous for its crowded streets and beautiful landscapes." the man remarked, his voice deep and smooth, yet also somehow rough and cold at the same time. "Now it looks as if it's been sucked dry." His lips curled into a smile, showing off his pearly whites. Had one looked closely, every last tooth lined in his gums were all sharp, like a row of fangs belonging to a shark. "So, this is what happens when humans break the taboo."

He had learned of this in the past. Those who break the taboo are punished by the Heavens. Destruction and Armageddon shall come for those who defy the natural order and try to play God. It was amusing. Humans, despite their weakness and frailty, are ambitious creatures who try to transcend themselves to the levels of Gods. However, they are unaware of what consequences their actions may produce.

All around him was a result of said actions.

He had born witness to such follies before. However, they were never quite to such an extent as this. "Now, then..." the man said as he resumed walking, eyes set on something ahead of him that couldn't be seen. "Where did that little rat run off to?"

* * *

A small figure ran through the cold darkness, their bare feet slapping against the hard stone. They ignored the pain from their soles and kept moving. They hid in the shadows, if only for a brief moment as they looked around the empty streets. After seeing it was safe, they emerged out from the shadows, features revealed under the pale moonlight. It was a young boy with a pale complexion, messy black hair, and green eyes. He panted heavily from exertion. All he had on hand were the clothes on his back, which appeared to be a white nodded jumpsuit of some sort, and an ornate pistol clutched tightly in hand. His clothing was dirtied and tattered from the constant running while his pistol grew heavy in his hands.

His feet were sore and raw, and his skin was drenched in sweat. His clothes were stained in blotches of red. "D-dammit..." he gasped, his chest hurting worse than his feet. How long had he been running now? A few minutes? An hour? "Have to...get out of here...fast!"

Just how much further was the exit to this god-forsaken hellhole?! Ignoring the pain from his dry throat, he swallowed and trudged onward. He hadn't seen the city since the day he and everyone else was forced down into the pits, trapped by stone and bloodsuckers everywhere. At the mere memory of that time, forced into a seat and strapped down while they stuck needles and tubes into him, his fury spiked together with grief.

 _"Yuu-chan... We're family. Always remember that."_

Tears threatened to spill from his eyes. He tried not to think on what he had left behind only mere hours ago. None of this should have happened. They were all supposed to escape together. And yet, because of that smiling bastard, everyone had-!

His foot stubbed against something in the middle of the road. The impact caused his toe to bend and the nail to crack. A scream erupted from his throat as he fell to the ground, concrete tearing at his exposed skin from the fall. Gritting his teeth, biting back further screams lest he attract unwanted attention, he pulled himself up and found the pistol not far from him. Scooping it up, he pulled himself back up to his feet. Only, at this moment, he stopped to actually take in the view. Of the world that had long since been abandoned. Of the world that he had been whisked away from.

"...it's so quiet." he muttered, wincing as he looked at his elbow. It was bruised and the skin was torn off. There was blood dripping down his arm. "Is this...really my city?"

He remembered long ago that the surface world held a plethora of life and sound.

Yet neither of those existed here.

Streets that were once filled with bustling people were now cracked and desolate. Buildings that stretched high into the sky were crumbled and in disrepair. The people who used to push and shove one another to move about their day to day lives were not but decayed skeletons and corpses. Only silence was the sound that played in his ears and the sounds of the winds blowing, throwing tiny objects off the ground.

Yuichiro felt as if the world he used to know had died. Maybe he wasn't that far off, since the adults in the world had also perished. No adults. Hah! It sounded like a child's fantasy come true, only in the most twisted way possible.

"I need to get away from here." Yuu thought aloud to himself, starting to move again. "C'mon. Just think. It can't be that hard, scrounging up some food. Some warm clothes, too. I mean, vampires don't need that stuff, right?"

"...well, this is a surprise. I wasn't expecting to find a little child wandering the streets alone."

Yuu spun around in a panic, quick to aim at whoever just spoke. His eyes widened at what came in his field of vision.

It was a man. Easily taller than the vampires that had guarded everyone in the underground city. He was dressed in a black suit with a long red trench coat over it, white gloves covering his hands and black hair spilling out underneath a wide-brim red hat and eyes hidden behind a pair of orange sunglasses. He craned his neck, as if having trouble looking down at Yuu from his height.

"Hard to believe a child like you survived." the man remarked with a wry smile. "Did whatever punishment God handed to you affect only those within a certain age group? Or are you just special?" He took a step forward. Unable to shake off this sense of danger and terror that he felt from him, Yuu took a step back. Seeing his obvious fear, the man's smile widened. "What's the matter, boy? Tonight is a fine night."

The corner of his lips curled, and immediately Yuu saw them. "For me, at any rate..."

 _Fangs. Sharp molars, meant to cut and sink into flesh._

Almost immediately, his fear was overwritten with anger. "Goddamn bloodsucking bastard!" he cursed the vampire's being as he steadied his aim with the pistol and pulled the trigger. The recoil nearly knocked him flat, compared to before. The bullet struck the man in the shoulder, body pulling back. Yuu pulled the trigger again. This time, the bullet went into the man's left arm. A third shot and Yuu was on his rear while the bullet grazed his cheek. Looking up, he found that the bullet holes in the man's body were already healing. Scowling, he tried to take aim again.

He pulled the trigger, but there was no bullet. No recoil. The only sound that came out of the gun was the sound of the hammer being cocked back and slamming against the pistol. Yuu stared at the gun, horror dawning on him before he looked back at the man, who looked only amused by his actions. With no other alternative, and unwilling to be captured again - or worse - Yuu pulled himself up to his feet and took of running, hoping he could escape the man.

The man tilted his head, as if puzzled by the boy's decision to run. "...was it something I said?" he asked, mostly to himself before he shrugged. He had better things to do other than play with a mere boy. Still, how curious that a child managed to survive being affected by what caused the downfall of humanity here in Japan. As he looked on, he couldn't help but notice something far ahead in the distance. Something that only made him grin. "Well, there you are..."

* * *

Yuuichiro as fast as he could as hard as he could, his previous exhaustion forgotten as adrenaline surged in his veins. He thought he was free of those goddamn bloodsuckers, yet one stumbled across him by accident! His mind didn't even process the fact that the man's attire was different from the Vampires in the underground, but he didn't care. The only thing he cared about was shooting the bastard dead!

...That is until he realized he ran out of bullets. He cursed his luck and yelled a plethora of profanities during his run. He should've aimed at his head properly instead of just pulling the trigger without care!

As he ran, he peered over his shoulder. It seemed the bastard hadn't given him chase. At least, not yet. He didn't stop, not even for a moment. On the off chance he was chasing after him, he needed to keep running. However, during his one-track mind of fleeing from an unknown danger, he failed to recognize another unknown danger that was stalking him. When Yuuichiro slipped into a crossroad, he looked around for a place to hide. Or fortify, at least. There was a building at the corner, doors smashed open. Sucking a breath, he made a split decision and ducked inside. Like the streets, it was empty and thrashed. Wooden boards were reduced to splinters and debris littered the floor. The tiles were scorched, no doubt because of the fire that was caused when the vampires descended.

But even still, shelter was shelter. With this, hopefully he would remain hidden from that red-clothed bloodsucker. He took refuge behind a pile of broken furniture and used this moment for a brief reprieve. As he sat down, Yuu suddenly felt the adrenaline that had lasted him through the whole day leave him, unable to stop himself from falling to his knees. Soon, he was back on the ground, his back propped against the wall behind him. He looked at the gun in his hands for a moment, then he tossed it aside. If it was out of bullets, he doubted he would be able to find ammunition for it. Especially since it wasn't the ordinary type of gun. It did belong to a bloodsucker, after all.

"...why did this have to happen?"

He asked himself that question every day for the past few years, ever since the adults in Japan died from some weird virus.

Why did they all have to die? Why did he and his family have to suffer? Why did the bloodsuckers have to make their lives a living hell? Why didn't they try to escape sooner? Why did they have to die so he could get away?

...Why did they all leave him alone?

"Dammit, Mika, you idiot." Yuu muttered, burying his face in is knees as he tucked his legs into his chest. "We made a promise we would get out of here together, didn't we? Why'd you go and play hero? Why...?"

* * *

In Japan, it was believed that the human race had been killed by a mysterious virus, all except for the lucky few who were under the age of 17. All children had been lucky enough to survive the fall of mankind were then taken in by the vampires, to be used as livestock. Even so, they would be able to live. Survive. Even if they had to be used as living blood bags.

However, that couldn't have been far from the truth. Humanity was not dead in the least.

One such evidence of proof could be found in England. More accurately, an estate that was regarded as one of the most influential within the social circle of the Crown.

"Here is the report, Sir Integra."

A young woman with creamy brown skin and long blonde hair accepted the report with a gloved hand. Her face held an expression of utmost seriousness. Her attire consisted of a black blazer over a white buttoned shirt and black dress pants with a red cravat. It suited well with her tall, thin build. A pair of circular wire-rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of her nose with piercing blue eyes behind them. This was Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing.

"Thank you, Walter." She nodded in the direction of her vassal. He was an elderly man with a tall and thin build. He was garbed in black dress pants, a white shirt with a purple tie and a purple vest. His dark, gray hair was long and bound tightly in a ponytail. He wore a pair of gloves on hand and a monocle over his left eye.

She accepted the documents in hand, setting them on the desk before she read sentence after sentence. "This is all the information we were able to gather, based on reconnaissance from Japan." Walter said. "As you can see, they are...as we expected."

"So, Japan's completely gone dark." Integra sucked in a breath, narrowing her eyes before she pulled out one of her cigars from the tin case in her breast pocket. "In the years following Japanese communication went silent, any attempts to reach the mainland have since ended with the the planes exploding right out from mid-air. Attempts to reach the ports also end in sunken ships. And now, we have the answer."

"To think that the adult populace had died outright, all because humanity tried to play god." Walter rubbed his chin. "I wonder what the Vatican's reaction will be, once they hear of this."

Integra snorted. "Divine punishment or no, what they should be concerned is the fact that Japan is now a continent full of vampires. Alucard's mission there was simply to hunt down the Vampire that managed to get out from the net and escaped there. If I had it my way, I would have had him take out the whole damn place, but as things stand, we can't afford the international problems."

"We're still investigating these so-called Seraphs. Whatever they are, they appear to be the main cause behind Japan's downfall." The old man tilted his head slightly. "Why do you suppose only Japan suffered Heaven's wrath?"

Integra gave her butler a flat stare. "Do I look like I know what God thinks, Walter?" she asked in a deadpan tone. "However, if I was to wager a guess, it was because Japan was the site in which the taboo was broken. That being said, we should keep a close eye on the continent's borders for any word of sudden deaths."

"Understood."

* * *

The sound of broken glass made Yuu stir from the cusp of sleep. He had almost managed to successfully doze off when the sound of something breaking underneath a heavy footfall registered in his ear. _'Someone's in here.'_ he thought. _'Is it that bloodsucker from earlier? Another vampire?!'_

He gingerly propped himself up, careful not to make a sound lest the enemy would take note of him. He crouched his way out from his hiding place just enough to give himself a clear visual. The place looked empty still. It was dead silent. For a moment, he wondered if he was just imagining things. Then his ears perked up, catching the sound of labored breathing. It was heavy, panting almost. However, it didn't sound even remotely human. It sounded guttural. Like the pant of an animal.

Then it came into view. A human being. Or what looked like one. It wore a uniform, black with green trims. Their skin was pale and wrinkled, saggy and tight almost as it tightened around the skull connected to its neck. Its eyes were sunken, revealing only buldging eyes with dark irises and a gaping mouth with sharp teeth.

 _'What the hell is that?!'_ Yuu thought, unable to hide his shock. They looked like vampires, but...they looked so wrong. Twisted. Like an actual corpse. _'That isn't a vampire, is it? No, it can't be. I can smell it from here... It smells like its rotting!'_

The creature shuffled into the building, groaning and twitching. Behind it, four more wandered in.

 _'Shit, there are more of them?!'_ He thought with alarm, quietly, he sat back down and pressed up against the wall to hide in the shadows. He couldn't let these...things...notice him. He was boxed in. _'I need to get out of here! And fast!'_

* * *

"...ah. So that's where you are."

The red clad man smiled widely as he craned his head as he neared the crossroad where the building was located. He could easily smell it. Rotting flesh was rather pungent, even from this distance. As well as the smell of fresh blood. The little rat must have had time to feed and find some poor bastard to feed from. Strange. There should have been no humans left here. Is it possible that there were survivors? Hm. He would look into this later. For now, he had to take care of the little rat.

* * *

Yuu had managed to sneak past the rotting grunts somehow. Pulling out from the building had been difficult, given how cluttered the damn place was. When he pulled out from the building, he entered a wide open courtyard. From what he saw, it was very wide and spacious. Enough to fit a dozen or more people in. On the other side of the courtyard was a wired fence that was partially collapsed, leaving open a small little entrance. If he could squeeze through, he could get the hell out of here before those things found him.

"Dammit, what were those things?" Yuu questioned as he made his way across the courtyard. "Were they vampires? They didn't like the ones from Sanguine!"

He was only halfway across the courtyard before the snow covered ground before him erupted, throwing him off his feet and onto his back, yelping in surprise. Looking up, Yuu found a man standing over him, dressed in a heavy insulated jacket with a beanie over his head. His skin was pale and his eyes were bloody red. The fangs that poked out from his mouth were an obvious giveaway along with his eyes. "Vampire!" Yuu cried, leaping to his feet.

"A brat?" the vampire questioned, narrowing his eyebrows. "And you smell different." He paused, then shook his head. "Oh, whatever! C'mere, you little shit. I need your neck!"

"Get the fuck away from me, you goddamn mosquito!" He swung his arm to fling snow into the Vampire's face to distract it. Taking this opportunity, he immediately turned and ran.

However, he vastly underestimated how fast a famished bloodsucker could be. "Not escaping now, brat!" Like a snake snapping out at prey, the vampire's hand grabbed his hood and pulled him up. Screaming and lashing out wildly, Yuu kicked and punched at the vampire, which only served to annoy him. "Tch! If I weren't so fucking starved, I'd kill you and leave you a shriveled up husk that couldn't come back a Ghoul!" he snarled before he grinned. "But... You know what? I think I got a use for you. If I hand you over to the people here in this country, they could offer me a good hiding place! At least until those damned hunting dogs give up!"

It didn't take Yuu long to realize what he meant. At the very idea of being thrown back into Sanguine, the place where his family had died for his sake, his body went cold. Memories to the moment that took place hours ago were still fresh in his mind. The little ones, cut down as if they were nothing. Drained bone dry. Cut apart into pieces. Mika nearly sliced in half. Without realizing it, his body went completely still.

Seeing his lack of resistance, the vampire chuckled. "Good, you quieted down. Man, talk about luck. Still, I wish there was a fucking virgin somewhere in this ghost town! At least then I could get some good pleasure!"

"...really, now? A vampire desiring pleasure? How revolting." The vampire froze. He whipped around, finding a tall man dressed in red standing not far behind him, crimson eyes peering out from behind his sunglasses. "How pathetic. Can't even do anything on your own."

The vampire scowled. "So, one of Hellsing's hunting dogs already came for me?" he asked with some fear. He had been chased all across the entire United Kingdom, just trying to get the hell out of dodge. He thought that if he managed to escape here to Japan, he would be safe. He didn't realize just how tenacious these bastards really were! "Doesn't matter!" He held Yuu out in front of him. "See this?! This is my hostage! If you don't want anything to happen to him, you better not fucking move, you motherfucker!"

Yuu looked at the red clad man, shaking. As he looked at the man, something flashed in his eyes. Something he couldn't quite explain. As the two males locked eyes, the red clad man's eyes widened before his face twisted into a grin. "So, that's who you are..." he whispered with the utmost fascination, looking at Yuu as if he were a never before seen specimen. "And to think, this is what God's little helpers looks like. The Vatican would be having quite the field day with you."

"Oi! Did you not fucking hear me, you cunt?!" the vampire cursed, suddenly wrapping his arm around Yuu's neck. The boy gasped, clawing at the bloodsucker's arm to no avail. "Come any closer, and I snap his neck!"

Heedless to his words, the red clad man stepped forward. "How pathetic. You're truly the lowest of the low." he said, lips curling into a sneer. "And you have the gall to call yourself Nosferatu?! You're even more spineless than I could have imagined!"

"Spineless?! I'll show you who's spineless!" the vampire snarled before his mouth twisted into a smirk. "Especially since I'm the one who's got every gun aimed at you!" Without warning, the courtyard exploded. Yuu's eyes widened in horror. Surrounding the entire area were those freakish creatures, all carrying some form of firearm or another. "A'right boys! Light this fucker up!"

Without further warning, they aimed their guns and fired, letting out a chorus of gunshots that were deafening to listen to. The storm of bullets came from all directions, tearing through the man in red spilling blood everywhere. Yuu remained transfixed on the stranger, because he made no cry of pain, no scream or even a groan. Instead of pain or terror...he had a twisted smile on his face. As if he was having fun!

Eventually, the bullets ran out and the body collapsed to the ground in a bleeding mess. Bullet holes were everywhere, and the body became unrecognizable.

"Fuahaha! Serves you right, you fucking cunt! You talked a big game, but you weren't even a match for my Ghouls! You're fucking pathetic!" The starved Vampire laughed, relishing his victory.

"...heh..." A deep, baritone voice resounded, stopping the bloodsucker's words cold. The bleeding corpse slowly lifted itself back on its feet, his very body defying gravity as the wounds closed and the damage was undone. The grin remained on his face. "Hahahahahahahaha...!"

The sight was terrifying, if not nightmare inducing. The man's form had, momentarily, become like that of a dark shadow where no light could possibly exist. All that Yuu could see was his fanged grin and his crimson red eye. That shadow soon disappeared as the rest of his body began to pull itself back together, almost as if it had not just been pumped full of lead earlier.

"Wh-wh-what the actual hell...?" the vampire stammered, eyes wide. "How the fuck are you-" Suddenly, he stopped and took in the man's appearance. When he did, he felt his unbeating heart sank and all hope of escape vanish in an instant. "Oh...Oh shit. Oh _fucking shit_! You're him, aren't you?! The Hellsing family's guard dog!"

The red clad man smirked. "Alucard... At your service, you pathetic waste of skin!" he bellowed, fangs bared in a sadistic smile as he pulled out a firearm from his person. It had to be the biggest handgun Yuu had ever seen. It was larger than even that smiling bastard's pistol. Without moving from his position, the now-named Alucard took aim at one of the Ghouls nearby and pulled the trigger.

In the next second, the Ghoul's head was obliterated, reducing it to bloody red paste. Yuu's eyes widened at the sight. "How?!" the vampire cried in horror. "My Ghouls are undead! Bullets shouldn't even so much as damage them!"

"These 13mm. bullets were forged from the Silver Cross at Manchester Cathedral after it was melted down." Alucard explained as he shot another round, destroying another Ghoul, followed by another. "Nothing I shoot gets back up." To further drive his point home, he gracefully and swiftly shot down every single Ghoul in the vicinity. Some of them tried to attack, but they were gunned down without Alucard even having to look in their direction.

In mere moments, the courtyard was littered with headless Ghoul bodies, leaving the Hellsing guard dog, the starved bloodsucker, and the terrified boy.

A dreadful silence filled the area. The smell of decomposing flesh, blood and gunsmoke invaded Yuu's nostrils, causing him to squirm in disgust. The vampire holding him whimpered, taking several steps back while staring at Alucard. The towering figure took the moment to admire his work before he turned his attention to him, lips parting to reveal his fangs before taking a step forward. Realizaing that this place would become his grave, he quickly raised the boy in front of him, putting Yuu between the starved vampire and Alucard.

"N-not another step, you damned dog!" he cried. "D-d-did you forget! I've got a hostage!"

Alucard momentarily paused, even faltering before he sized up the starving vampire and the boy. "...utterly pathetic. You rely on Ghouls to do the dirty work for you. Mere husks of humans you drained dry, but you can't even attempt to fight back. I take back my earlier statement. You aren't even a waste of skin. You aren't even worth the lowest pits of Hell!"

"Shut up!" the vampire snapped, tightening his grip. Yuu gasped, feeling the bones in his neck beginning to creak and strain under the pressure. Any tight, and he'd be dead. As he stepped back, the vampire made a desperate bid for his life. Even he knew that Alucard wouldn't hesitate the moment he saw weakness. If he could just buy time and slowly make his way back into the building, he would be safe. He'd have enough time to get to the people in charge of this continent for protection. No matter how strong Alucard was, even he wouldn't be able to fight off hundreds of Vampires all at once! "H-hey, why don't we make a deal? I give you the brat, a-and you let me go! W-we're both vampires, right? C'mon, why serve the pathetic humans? A-aren't we allowed to do as we please?!"

The red clad vampire was silent. Instead, his eyes were focused solely on Yuuichiro, who stared back. For a moment, the boy had completely forgotten about the vampire holding him completely. He was transfixed by his gaze. He tried to understand what was going on. This man before him was a vampire. But, he was different. He wasn't sure what it was, but compared to the other bloodsuckers, there was this air about him. An air that commanded respect and fear, no matter who you were. Then there was what he did earlier. He completely gunned down those monsters like they were nothing. But for what reason? And serving humans? Did that mean...he was fighting for humans?

A vampire was serving humanity? But, what did that mean? Hadn't all the adults-

"Hey, kid." Alucard spoke, cutting him free from his thoughts. "I'm going to pull the trigger now." The vampire froze completely, taken in by shock while Yuu watched as he took aim with that giant silver gun, holstering it on his arm. "The bullet will completely destroy your lung before it reaches the bastard's heart." The boy's eyes widened in terror. He just said that he was going to shoot and kill him right there. So why...?

"Before then, I will need you to make a choice..." Alucard's lips curved. It took Yuu to realize that he was _smiling_. "Do you want to come with me?"

The vampire went still. "H-hey, what the fuck're you saying?!" he cried in shock, unable to believe his ears. "Don't you understand the situation?!"

"I can't make the decision for you." Alucard continued as if the bloodsucker hadn't spoken. "You have to be the one to decide." His eyes narrowed. "Kid. Do you want to live...?"

Yuu couldn't answer for a few seconds for his words to process in his mind. Live? Of course he wanted to live! Not just for his sake. Not just for getting revenge on the Bloodsuckers who took everything from him. But also...!

 _'Yuu-onichan!'_

 _'Yu-kun!'_

 _'Yu-chan! Live on!'_

"Y-yes..." Yuichiro fought through the pain in his neck to get the words out. "YES! _**I WANT TO LIVE**_!"

"Excellent!" Alucards grin grew as he pulled the trigger. In the next second, the bullet tore through Yuu's lung and through the bloodsucker's heart.

The pain came as quick as it had vanished for Yuu, who's body went sailing through the air, heedless to the hole that now accomodated his tiny body. The vampire let out a bestial cry as he was flung back, body smacking against the wall behind him, gasping and growling before he finally succumbed. His body subsequently fell apart, reduced to a mere pile of ashes. Yuu's body hit the snow, but he couldn't feel the impact. Not even the chilling cold the snow would have given him. Barrel smoking, Alucard lowered his gun, looking at the pile of ashes that had been his target before he looked at the boy lying in the snow. Already, the white blanket underneath him became stained crimson, just as the spot where he had been gunned down mercilessly only moments prior had.

Sliding the gun back into his coat, Alucard walked over to the boy, kneeling by his side and gently pulling him up into his arms, lifting his head. "Remember," Alucard told him. "You were the one who chose this." Yuu stared at him, eyes glazed over as blood dribbled from his mouth. The sight was enough to make Alucard's mouth water. The scent was driving him mad. No blood aside from Integra's had ever done this to him before. He couldn't help but crack a grin. "Tonight truly is a fine night."

Still barely cognant, Yuu tilted his head. The man chuckled as he leaned forward. "This is the part where you close your eyes." he told him simply. Unable to remain conscious any longer, Yuu's eyelids fell and left him in the dark, barely registering a sharp pain in his neck before all fatigue and pain was drained from him, falling deeper into the darkness.

All around them, the world was silent. The snow lay undisturbed, aside from the corpses that were beginning to break down and the red stains that marred the beauty of the blanket of white beneath their feet. Overhead, the moon shone brilliantly.

A fine night, indeed...

* * *

"Sir Integra." Walter reported a few hours later, entering the woman's office and sweeping into a bow. "Alucard has returned to the estate."

Integra smirked. "That took longer than I thought. At least getting back."

"Yes, well... There was apparently a reason for that." Integra raised an eyebrow at this. Walter, for his part, looked quite confused as if unsure what to make of the sight he had seen. "You had best go down to the lobby and see for yourself, ma'am." The woman looked at him, as if to demand answers, but sighed and shook her head, standing up from her seat and moving around her desk and leaving the room. Walter kindly shut the doors behind her and quickly followed after her. As they walked, Integra contemplated what would be waiting for her in the lobby. It must've been unsettling to perturb even Walter.

Just what had Alucard done?

The lobby of the Hellsing estate was separated into two levels. The lower level was where the entrance was located, connecting to different corridors that led to the guest rooms, kitchen areas, recreation rooms and so on. There was also a small lounging area, just next to the stairs. Integra's office was just on the right side of the second level. When she entered, she found Alucard sitting in the lounge rather leisurely, an arm hanging on the spine of the sofa and his leg propped over the other with a strange smile on his face, sunglasses and hat discarded on the table.

"I'm back from my assignment, my master." Alucard greeted Integra warmly. "The little rat who tried to scurry off has been silenced. Poor fool was attempting to seek asylum from the vampires that now rule over Japan."

"...Alucard. What did you do while you were in Japan?"

The black-haired man grinned. "See for yourself." he said, gesturing his head to whatever lay next to him. Frowning, Integra made her way to the stairs. As she descended down, she could see what looked to be a pair of legs. When she reached the first level and walked over to the lounge, her eyes widened.

There, next to Alucard, was a child no older than 13 or so, dressed in a red-splattered white jump suit of some sort. The fact that a child had been brought here by the vampire under her family's service was for cause of concern, but what really had her worried were the tiny little fangs that poked out from the corners of the little boy's mouth. The dots connected in her head. Now she understood why Walter was so apprehensive and disturbed. Integra stared at Alucard, her expression surprisingly even in spite of the raging emotions in her breast that threatened to break the mask. That being said, no matter how skilled her poker face, even Walter could see her hands trembling.

"...what is the meaning of this, Alucard?" the woman asked in a low voice. "Why did you bring a child here? A _vampiric_ child, no less?"

Alucard grinned. "Well, that's easy." he said as if he was explaining a joke. "Because I'm the one who made him my fledgling."

Integra's mask broke into stunned silence. Walter spluttered. "Y-you did?!" he said, eyes wide. "Alucard, with all due respect, what on Earth made you decide to turn a mere _child_ into a vampire?!"

"He's a survivor of God's wrath from Japan. In fact, he's much more than that." Alucard replied, waving a hand. "To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure making him a vampire would work. While he's still obviously a virgin, he's male. Thankfully, I've been around long enough to find a few loopholes. My previous Masters' experiments also helped in that regard." He paused briefly, taking the moment to think before he chuckled. "Of course, it also helped that the boy isn't fully human."

Integra narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean by that, Alucard?"

"Would you believe me if I told you that he is a Seraph of the End?"

The vampire's master's eyes widened in disbelief. She snapped back over to the child, then at Alucard, who grinned.

"You mean to say that this child..." Integra swallowed the lump in her throat, nearly at a loss for words. "This child you made your fledgling, is one of the Angels who will bring about the end of the world?"

"Got it in one." The No Life King crossed his legs as he focused his eyes on his master. "From what I gathered when I drank from his neck, it seems the vampires in Japan took all those who weren't affected by God's Wrath and took them to their stronghold: an eternal kingdom of night called Sanguine. In exchange for being periodically drained for blood, they get to live and are given the means to live in peace. In other words, they're treated as livestock. The boy and his family attempted to escape, but it seems that with the exception of himself, a vampire killed them all."

Integra sucked in a breath, trying to calm herself down. "That still doesn't explain why you made him your fledgling, Alucard."

"He holds a great deal of hatred towards vampires, my master." he revealed. "With the proper guidance, he could prove to be useful. Besides..." Alucard grinned wickedly. His shadow became warped, revealing several eyes of bloody red with rows of sharp fangs. "He made the choice. Though he loathes my kind, he willingly chose to delve into the night and reject the sun. Whether he will come to accept his true nature is entirely up to him."

The woman was silent for a moment, pondering the situation. On the one hand, Alucard bore an interesting point. While reports about these so called Seraphs were scarce, the texts did give enough information to clarify that they more than had enough firepower to bring the world to its knees. Such power could be used well for the Hellsing Organization. Alongside Alucard himself, she could only imagine how many bloodsucking monsters they could wipe off the face of the Earth! On the other hand, his existence was a dangerous one. Who was to say he wouldn't turn against them? A child he may be, but he was a wild card. A risk.

Integra closed her eyes, forehead creased in deep thought before she took a whiff of her cigar. After a minute or so, she opened her eyes again and looked at Alucard, her expression cold. "...I don't care if he's one of God's angels or that he's a child." she said, tone clipped. "I fully expect him to pull his own weight. Start his training as soon as he wakes up. If the boy wants revenge for his family, he can start by becoming a dog of the Hellsing Organization."

Alucard's grin threatened to snap his face in half, if he were human. "At once, my master~" he said, immensely pleased by her decision. Integra huffed and walked away. Walter still looked utterly dazed by the whole thing, thrown completely for a loop before he fumbled after Integra. Chuckling, Alucard looked back to the boy, who began to stir. Slowly, he rose up, rubbing his eyes before opening them.

No longer were they emerald green.

Now, they were bloody red. The eyes of a vampire.

* * *

"Yuu-can... We're family. We always will be!"

"Yeah! Even if your such a sourpuss, Yuu-niichan!"

"Yuu-kun!"

"H-hrgh..."

Slowly, Yuu found himself pulled out of the darkness of sleep. He could hear voices, one female and another male. The latter sounded familiar, as it echoed and reverbrated through his being. As footsteps faded from earshot, he found himself being pulled into the waking world, pulling himself up and rubbing his eyes. 'What a weird dream...' he thought tiredly. 'Who the heck comes up with a dream about getting shot at and then...'

"You're finally awake." a familiar voice called out to Yuu. Immediately, he was put on high alert and whipped his head around so fast he felt his neck crack. Practically in front of him, or rather sitting next to him, was the man who called himself Alucard. His hat and glasses were discarded, revealing long black hair and deep red eyes that practically glowed in the shadows of his own hair, along with a fanged smile that sent shivers down his spine. "So then, kid... How does it feel, to be a true undead?"

"W-what...?" Yuu rasped. "What're talking about? What even are-"

Suddenly, the events from a few hours ago came rushing back. In a panic, he pulled up his shirt, only to find his chest completely intact. But, but that was impossible. He could definitely remember being shot at. He felt his right lung get blown apart and left out to bleed in the snow.

And why was it so damned cold, anyway? Sure, he was wearing a short sleeve jumpsuit that left little protection from the elements, but even this was...

"...wait! Where the heck is this?!"

"The Hellsing Family Manor." Alucard told him smoothly. "Sitting in the United Kingdom's front lawn, no less." Yuuichiro paused to let that sink in. The United Kingdom? Wasn't that a few thousand miles overseas from Japan?! How the hell did he even get here?! As if reading his thoughts, the man continued. "Why, I brought you here after you accepted my offer. And as of this moment, kid, you belong to the Hellsing Organization."

"Hellsing?" He thought back to what that bloodsucker who caught him had been raving on about in a panic after Alucard had shown up and started mowing down those monsters. What did he call them? Ghouls? "And what is Hellsing?" He narrowed his eyes, leaping off the sofa and putting some distance between him and Alucard. "And who even are you? You're a vampire, aren't you?"

Alucard laughed as if he had just heard the funniest joke ever. "Would you have not have shot me back then if I wasn't?" he asked wryly. "And yes, I am a vampire. The same as the monsters who murdered your family." His eyes twinkled with amusement and something else, something Yuu couldn't recognize as his grin widened. "The same as you. A creature of the night."

Yuu felt as if someone had just dumped ice cold water over him. "Wh-what did you just say?"

"Take a look for yourself." Out of nowhere, Alucard pulled out a mirror and tossed it to Yuuichiro, who fumbled as he attempted to grab it. He eventually managed to stop it from falling, sighing in relief that he wouldn't have to suffer years of bad luck before he looked at his reflection. He looked relatively the same, if maybe a little healthier.

...wait, why were his eyes red? And did he have something in his teeth? Pulling down his lips to examine his gums, he found that the corners of his mouth had now developed long, sharpened canines. No, scratch that. That was just the bigger of the fangs. All of his teeth, even the very front, had become like a dagger. Ready to slice apart flesh and sink into a long, soft and tender neck.

It hit him just then. The mirror fell out of his hands, shattering on the floor. "Careful, now." Alucard snickered. "That's seven years bad luck."

Yuu didn't care. For all he knew, for all he cared, he was already cursed. He was a damned _bloodsucker_! "You...did you do this to me?!"

"Now now, no need to take that tone. After all, it was your choice to begin with."

Yuu was seeing red. Something in the back of his mind snapped. With a roar, he lunged at Alucard, faster than any human thought possible. Alucard merely grinned as his eyes danced with delight. Just as Yuu was upon him, his body turned to black, moving even faster than Yuu was before his hand snaked around the boy's neck and grabbed him, crushing his windpipes and throwing him against the wall. Yuu gasped in pain, but not from Alucard grabbing his neck. Squirming under the man's gaze, he glared at the man, trying to pry his arm off of him.

"Y-you bastard! What did you to do me?!" Yuu cried out in rage.

"Clean out your ears, kid. I just said that this was _your_ choice." Alucard wagged a finger in front of his face. "I told you I was going to pull the trigger and that you would die, unless you _wanted to live_. **I want to live**. Those were your exact words. This was _your_ choice." Unceremoniously, he dropped Yuu back on to the sofa. Flopping down, Yuu coughed and rubbed his neck before he mustered a glare at Alucard. The man wasn't concerned in the least as he continued to grin. "Besides, you want to kill vampires, right? Then what better place for you to do that as the little puppy dog of the Hellsing Organization?"

"And just how will I do that if I'm a goddamned Bloodsucker?!" Yuu coughed out angrily.

Alucard shook his head in mild disappointment. "Kid, you are letting your emotions control you. Think rationally for a moment. As a human, you wouldn't have been able to scratch a vampire, let alone kill them. But now you have vampiric power and strength. The abilities of a Nosferatu like myself. Now think about how much more capable you'll be with that type of power at your disposal?"

"I already killed one of you bastards with their own gun." Yuu retorted.

Alucard barked with laughter. "And you actually think you killed him?" he asked, startling Yuu. "You honestly think something as insignificant as a bullet from a flintlock could have killed a vampire? Not even the weakest of vermin would have died from that."

"Wh-what...?!" Yuuichiro grew numb. A bullet wouldn't have killed them? Did that mean...?!

"The only way to properly kill a Vampire or a Ghoul is the strike them down with a holy object, destroy their heart or brain. See this?" Alucard held up his gun. "This gun has bullets made from the Silver Cross. A holy object. They retain their properties and get the job done. You on the other hand, accomplished nothing." Yuu stared at the gun with large eyes. The moment he had lost his family replayed in his mind. His body shook. His vision was starting to swim. Alucard continued on as if he hadn't just delivered a bombshell to the poor boy. "Whether you like it or not, kid... You are a vampire. A creature of the night. A choice you made in order to keep on living. Now that you're a vampire..." He kneeled down to eye level, looking Yuuichiro straight in the eye. He froze. It felt as if he was being judged by some higher power. To the likes of Yuu, Alucard was far more than just a mere vampire. He was something else. Calling him a bloodsucker would be an insult to the highest degree. "...what will you do now? Will you just wallow in misery for the rest of your pitiful life? Will you kill yourself, after you made the decision to live? Or will you be like a dog and bear your fangs at your prey?"

"...I..."

What would he do? What can he do? he already lost his home, his family, everything...

"I will..."

All because of those bloodsuckers. They took everything from him!

Yuki. Chihiro. Kota. Ako. Fumie. Taichi. Akane. Mika. All of his brothers and sisters gone. And he wasn't even able to avenge their deaths. He was weak. He refused to accept this, he wanted to be strong. Strong enough to eradicate those damned bloodsuckers off the face of the earth.

"I will fight! I will be strong! Strong enough to make sure those Vampires are all killed! I won't let them hurt anyone ever again! So make me strong! Give me the power to kill every last damned bloodsucker!"

Alucard's eyes widened for a fraction of a second, as if taken aback by the boy's ferocity. Seconds later, however, he exposed all of his fangs as he smiled to the point where he was sure it went from ear to ear. "Excellent! You will make a fine addition to the Hellsing Organization, kid..."

"Yuuichiro. My name is Yuuichiro Hyakuya. Not kid!"

* * *

In the days that followed, Yuu learned that humanity had not died out, as the vampires in Sanguine had led them to believe. Rather, it seemed that only the adults in Japan had died out to the virus. The rest of the world was still safe, but he did question how long it would be before it came to the states. It was also weird being around adults for the first time in years, especially adults like his new boss, Integra or her butler, Walter. The old man was actually quite caring, taking on the role of tutor in order to help Yuu understand English. Integra barely gave him the light of day. In fact, she only seemed to address him as "boy." Just as demeaning as Alucard's nickname for him.

He was 13, dammit. He wasn't a kid.

He also had problems with his new vampiric nature, of course. He still wasn't happy about being made a bloodsucking bastard like the rest of those monsters back home in Japan, but like Alucard had told him. As a human, he wouldn't stand a chance. He needed to get stronger. If he was to remain a monster, then he would at least use his new nature to kill the bastards. Besides, it would be karma retribution. Who better to wipe out the vampire race than another vampire? That being said, he still refused to drink blood. Integra seemed amused by the idea, but Alucard seemed the most intrigued by his decision.

Then again, he did claim it was only a matter of time before he had no choice before he had no choice but to drink.

At any rate, as Integra had instructed since day one, Alucard had begun to train him. It was harsh, that was for sure. For once, Yuu was thankful he wasn't human anymore. He sincerely doubted a human could survive being thrown into a wall and impaled on a steel pipe straight through their heart. It hurt like hell, but that paled in comparison to the beat down Alucard gave him not long after he managed to get himself off the damn thing. And that was just typical combat.

Aside from combat, though, Yuu was also tasked with learning everything there was to know about vampires. The information that was provided to him would be invaluable in dealing with the oversized mosquitoes. When a vampire deflowers a human by feasting upon their blood, they become a subserviant undead creature called a Ghoul, who's only purpose from that moment is to kill and eat on the vampire's order. However, if a vampire were to drink the blood of a member of the opposite sex, and said individual happened to be a virgin, then a new vampire would be born.

That tidbit of information made him question if Alucard was male. Walter had explained that Alucard wasn't the average vampire. He had been around for over 600 years, and since his employment under the Hellsing family, who engraved into the vampire countless years of Occult knowledge, the vampire had learned quite a few tricks. One of them being able to find a loophole for Yuu becoming a vampire, in spite of the restrictions.

There was also another piece of information that also took him by surprise.

"There are two kinds of vampires?" Yuu asked one day.

Walter nodded. "Indeed. You recall how Alucard refers to himself and you as Nosferatu? That is one of the more proper names for a vampire. At least, that is what we initially believed. Around World War I or so, the Hellsing family learned that there was another race of vampires known as the Skal. While they share the same characteristics, Nosferatu and Skal are quite different. The best example of that would be to compare Alucard, the first known Nosferatu, with a Skal."

"Yeah, but isn't Boss also different from other vampi-I mean, Nosferatu?" Yuu had also taken to calling Alucard "boss" rather than Master, like what his mind demanded. Calling him Master would be no different than during his time in Sanguine. Besides, the guy was his boss in a sense.

"You are correct on that. However, if Alucard's existence has taught us anything, it is that the older the Nosferatu, the more power they will learn." He paused briefly, then grinned. "That is, assuming they actually live long enough to get to that age. Once Alucard has you in his sights, you may as well pray to god and hope he finishes you quickly."

Aside from vampiric knowledge and close quarters combat, Yuu was also instructed to learn how to properly use firearms as well. If you were as blunt as Alucard, you would have told him he sucked. His aim was rather poor, despite Yuu complaining that the problem lay with the gun. It was slightly heavier than the flintlock, but Alucard regarded it as a mere "human complaint." The reason why it felt so heavy was because Yuu was still thinking like a human.

Weapon training, however, had been an entirely different story.

He had been given a variety of different melee weapons to try out to determine what he best specialized in. After several attempts to get a feel for a weapon, such as a knife, axe, or spear, and failing due to an imbalance, his eyes landed on the sword.

Not just any sword, the katana. A weapon forged from his home country.

To him, it felt natural. It didn't feel awkward in his hand like the previous weapons. It was perfect. Alucard had jokingly referred to him as a little samurai, to which Yuu introduced him to his apparent skill with the sword. On the one hand, it broke rather easily against the likes of Alucard. On the other hand, he was able to cut off a finger, so that was a plus. Especially given that he had yet to actually land a solid hit in hand to hand combat. After this, Walter had begun to instruct him in the ways of the sword while he honed his innate abilities. Despite having little proficiency with a katana, Walter was a master swordsman of his own make. It was all simply a matter of perspective.

The next week came, and Alucard took his training to the next step. Particularly, in regards to the abilities vampires possessed.

"Transformation?"

"Yes. Nosferatu are not like Skal. Unlike them, we possess greater range of powers. Transformation is one of them." Alucard said before he snapped his fingers. "For example." Yuu watched, baffled as shadows encroached Alucard's form. Slowly, the man began to shrink down to size, reduced to perhaps around the average male's height before the shadows dispersed to reveal Alucard. Or at least someone who looked like him. It was a woman with long black hair and a round face with a toothy grin, along with crimson eyes. Yuu's mouth fell agape, staring at the woman before him. "I can change my appearance and gender with ease." Alucard(?) explained, putting her hands on her hips. "And that's only just the start. Becoming a wolf, splitting yourself into a swarm of bats... All are but the mere tip of the iceberg." His form became encroached in shadow, returning to his original form. "For now, however, we'll start with the most basic of abilities. That is to say, familiars."

Extending his hand, Alucard's shadow suddenly began to move and extend up, removing itself from the floor. Yuu let out a yelp as a creature was formed from said shadow, pitch black like the darkness with a jaw lined with jagged teeth and crimson red eyes. It was obviously shaped like a dog of some sort, but it was far too huge to be one. Plus, Yuu was sure that dog weren't supposed to have so many eyes on its body.

"This is but one of the many familiars under my command. The Baskerville." the red clad vampire introduced the frightened boy. "Quite impressive, don't you think? Truth be told, I'm rather fond of this one." Yuu couldn't speak. His eyes were transfixed on the monstrous canine. The black hound eyes him with curiosity and slowly approached him. The boy stepped back, but gradually inched his hand closer to it. He placed his palm on its snout, and instead of attacking him like he feared, the beast nuzzled into it.

"Well, I'll be damned...he likes you." As if to show it, the creature actually let out a pleasant growl, eyes closing shit in pleasure. Alucard chuckled, folding his arms. How long had it been since the hound actually liked someone? Then again, he did make the boy his fledgling, so perhaps it was natural. Still, he only brought him out to show the boy what a familiar was, not for socializing. The Baskerville let out a whine as it was pulled back, though Alucard promised it could get a decent meal later. "For vampires, there are two ways to gain a familiar. The first is to drink a human's blood and dominate their soul. This way, they become a part of you, rather than leave them to become a Ghoul. Theoretically, it's even possible to make another vampire your familiar."

"Seriously?" Yuu asked with surprise. "So... What's the second way?"

"The second way is to force the being in question to be your familiar. Something you'll be doing." Yuu raised an eyebrow, questing what Alucard meant. Rather than answer, Alucard raised his hand, calling up something from his shadow. Emerging out was a jet black katana, bearing no hilt or guard whatsoever, and the edge of the blade marked in neon green. "This blade was a souvenir I got while I was in Japan. Inside this sword, to our understanding, is the spirit of a demonic entity that was once a Skal." Alucard grabbed the sword and stabbed it into the ground in front of Yuu. "This will be your first lesson in the vampiric arts, kid. Subjugate the entity within this sword, and make it your familiar."

"So, how am I exactly supposed to make it listen to me?"

"Take the sword in hand, and commune with the spirit within. Force it to submit to your will. Really, it's self explanatory."

"...alright."

Knowing he wasn't going to get anymore from his boss, Yuuichiro nonetheless complied and grasped the handle of the sword. As soon as he did, his body suddenly became still and his pupils vanished, diminishing into tiny pinpricks. It was a sign that he had been dragged into whatever space was inside the sword, communicating with the entity inside the sword. In truth, Alucard was curios to see where this went. The demonic entity inside that sword reeked of Skal, without question, so how did it become something else? He was quite intrigued.

Alucard smiled thinly when he heard footsteps echoing down the hall. A few seconds later, Integra and Walter entered his room. "How goes training the pup?"

"Enlightening." he replied, turning to face his Master. "He's already made friends with the Baskerville. Right now, I'm having him make the vampire inside that sword his familiar. Regarding the sword, by the way, I'm quite curious. What did the reports have to say about it? It isn't man made, and it certainly isn't anything I've seen back during the old days."

"The sword is called a Cursed Gear." Walter explained. "From the reports we managed to gather after your visit to Japan, we acquired some new intelligence. As it turns out, not all adults had perished after the taboo was broken. The remains of the human Japanese populace not under Skal rule have united under the banner of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army."

"Demon Army?" Alucard asked with a grin. "Sounds interesting. Have humans also begun breaking other taboos by delving into the demonic arts now?"

Integra adjusted her glasses. "So it would seem. From what intelligence managed to gather, a demon is sealed inside of a sacred item of some sort and then modified. The strength of the weapon is determined by the demon inside. For example, that sword is supposedly among the Black Demon series. The strongest tier of the Cursed Gears. How a demon is created, we're not entirely sure. I assume you've had more success on that front?"

"Yes. The demon inside that sword was once a vampire. A Skal, to be exact." Alucard stated, chuckling. "The last time I encountered a Skal must've been around the time I first became a Nosferatu. I didn't care much about them at that point, but now?" His chuckles escalated into laughter. "Now I'm eager for the day when I return to Japan."

"That won't be for a while, I'm afraid." Walter said, sighing. "After your recent venture, it seems the Skals have fortified their defenses and holdings on the borders. To be honest, I still find it to be quite frightening. Vampires now control an entire continent, and the populace of Japan is mostly mere children now. So few adults left."

"And we can't risk an international incident, either." Integra added, taking out a cigar and having Walter light it for her. "We've kept the public from learning about the existence of these monsters for countless years. The world seems to buy the excuse that Japan has closed itself off, but there will always be the curious who want to know the truth. And they'll be promptly gunned down or drained of blood by the Skals the moment they come into their sights. It's only a matter of time before this powder keg goes off. And when it does..."

"Chaos and anarchy will be left in its wake." Alucard finished. "How truly disappointing. I would've liked to see more of these Cursed Gears and so called Demon Army. And it will seem like the kid will have to wait for his vengeance as well."

* * *

While Alucard spoke with his Master, Yuu's mind had drifted elsewhere into a space of mist. There was nothing to be seen. No structures. No road that would lead him somewhere. No stairs to guide him. No lights. Nothing. It was a void of fog, constantly flowing and shifting around. An endless space with no light, but no dark either.

"Where is this place?" Yuu questioned, his voice echoing across the expanse as he looked around. "I could've sworn I was in Boss' room and..."

"Yuu-chan? What're standing there for?" Yuuichiro felt his breath hitch. His body whipped around. Suddenly, the world around him was gone. Instead, he was back inside his so-called "home" that the vampires had provided for him and the other children. A small wooden shack, barely able to fit a handful of people with tiny beds. Standing there was a young boy around his age with messy blonde hair and bright blue eyes, sitting at a table. "C'mon and sit down. Akane-chan's getting us some food!"

"...M-Mika?" Yuu found himself asking, his throat dry.

Mikaela Hyakuya tilted his head. "Who else would I be?" he asked rhetorically. "Are you feeling okay, Yuu-chan? You don't look so good."

It took him only a second to realize something. There was something in the air. Something pungent. Foul. It made him want to gag. It smelled horrible. Sulfur, he thought first. But it smelled worse. And the stench seemed to come from a still smiling Mikaela. That was when Yuu noticed it. It was hard to notice, given how dark it was, but he could clearly see it.

Mika's pupils were slits.

A white hot rage suddenly spiked through him as he bared his fangs, eyes burning. "You bastard!" In seconds, he was upon the one who dared to use his best friend's form and pin him to the wall, hands wrapped around his throat. "How dare you?!"

"Huh. Never met someone who figured it out that quickly." the Mikaela doppelganger said, sounding honestly surprised as he stared at Yuu in wonder. "Actually, you don't feel human. I smell blood on you."

"Who are you?!" Yuu demanded, tightening his grip on the bastard's neck. "If you don't stop using Mika's form right this second, I'll rip out your damn throat!"

Somehow, his threat only served to make the doppelganger laugh. "Well, if you insist!"

Suddenly, Yu found himself thrown into the air. The world around him was ripped away in a mighty gust of wind, tearing apart the wooden planks and demolishing stone. Thanks to his training, Yuu landed perfectly in a crouch as he looked up to find someone walking toward him, figure shrouded in dark mist. It soon fell apart, revealing an androgynous adolescent male with long dark purple hair that went beyond his feet while his bangs covered his left eye. The red eyes, fangs and pointed ears gave away his true nature, but his presence felt different. It didn't feel like the same as Alucard's or that smiling bastard's.

He wore a sleeveless open-back dress including a collar with gold beads covering his throat. The chest piece was black while the rest of the dress was white, and the gown split open at the outer thighs, freeing his legs for movement. He wore black sleeves that were separated from the gown and reached for his mid-upper arms, coming down to his middle fingers. Each sleeve he wore was attached to a ring. On his head was a headband formed of two parallel golden strips that matched the horns piercing through his hair from the edge of his hairline.

Yuu narrowed his eyes, rising to his feet. The mysterious male smiled wickedly. "Hm, how strange..." he said, his voice completely different now. It sounded young, yet also mischievous with a hint of danger. "I don't think I've seen a vampire try and become my wielder before."

"And I don't think I've met a bigger jackass since those bloodsuckers in Sanguinem!" Yuu retorted. "You're the demon inside the sword, aren't you?"

"You're not very fast on the uptake, are you?" the demon smirked. "But yes, I am he. The humans branded me with the name of Asuramaru."

"Branded you? Then what's your real name?"

"Dunno...it's been so long that I forgot about it." He shrugged. "But enough of that. You believe you can try to be my wielded?"

"Not just your wielder. I was told to make you submit to my will. To make you my familiar!"vAsuramaru blinked. Once. Twice. Then he threw his head back, laughing hysterically. Yuu felt his eyebrow twitch. "The hell's so funny?!"

"Hahaha...hoo...sorry, it's been so long since I had a good laugh." He wiped a tear from his eye. "But seriously. You? Make me your familiar? Just what makes you think such a thing is possible?"

"What?! But Boss told me it was possible since I'm a Nosferatu!"

"Nosferatu?" the demon tilted his head before a metaphorical lightbulb lit up over his head. "Oh! No wonder you smelled so different. Huh." A moment later, however, and Asuramaru grinned wickedly. "But from the look of you, you're still just a child. A mere little babe. What makes you think you can even think of making me bow to you, you miserable little leech?"

"Because I want to eradicate every single Bloodsucker out there in the world!" Yu snapped as he metaphorically pointed to the real world. "I don't care what hell I have to go through, I'll beat you to a pulp if that's what it takes!"

"Hmph. You're just a hot head." Asuramaru snorted, tossing his hair. "And frankly, your howling annoys me, so why don't you _**SHUT UP**_?"

Without warning, black thorns shot from behind Asuramaru, shooting straight at Yuu. It was only thanks to Yuu's newly enhanced reflexes and training that allowed him to dodge the attack. However, Ashuramaru did not let up as he shot off more thorns.

The young Vampire leaped back to gain some distance and think. How was he going to subjugate this Skal? He had no weapons, only his Vampiric powers and strength. He bounced away, dodging a few that would have skewered him. Launching off of his hand, he took to the air to avoid a few more, only they were redirected towards him and shot into the air. Gritting his teeth, he spun his body around and kicked the thorns away. It only served to be a temporary measure, however, as the thorns recovered quickly and shot at him again. He managed to deflect one by angling his body so that it would fly right past him, proceeding to use it as a launch pad, but another thorn slapped him in the side, causing him to hit the ground. Groaning, he looked down at his side to find a gash that was slowly closing itself up, sucking up any spilled blood.

"Whoa. Cool..."

But it was too early to be impressed by his regeneration because more thorns soon skewered his arm, forcing him to keep moving. He yanked them out but kept one to use as a weapon. Or at least that was the plan until it broke apart into particles. Before he could try and complain, Asuramaru raised his hand, raising several thorns out from behind him and sending them Yuu's way. The boy kept running, but he couldn't do this forever. Then he realized this was Ashuramaru's plan. He was keeping him at a distance and tiring him out. He was toying with him!

Scowling, he hit the ground, dragging himself up to his feet. "Bastard!" he cursed before he charged straight at him, intent to knocking the lights out of that bastard. Asuramaru, however, merely smirked as he snapped his fingers. Before Yuu could realize what was happening, all the thorns that were impaled into the ground suddenly dissolved and broke apart. Just as he was within reach, ready to clock Asuramaru something good, Yuu suddenly found himself impaled, blood gushing from his mouth as he was promptly turned into a pin cushion. Thorns had erupted out from the ground, all of them striking him in perfect unison. He was left suspended in the air, flying while being guided by the thorns before they curved and slammed him straight into the ground, pinning him place.

"Like I said earlier. You're hot-headed." Ashuramaru smirked as he walked around him. "You are rash, immature, inexperienced, and but a mere fledgling. Someone like you is not worthy of my power. And you thought you would make me your familiar? How laughable."

The smoke settled, showing Yuu. He was pinned to the ground, thorns piercing every part of his body, all except for his head and heart. Every part of him hurt like hell. It felt like his skin was burning. He tried to move. Pry these damn thorns off of him. However, no matter how hard he tried, he was completely rendered immobile. Worse, the burning sensation in his skin was spreading. When he saw his arm, his eyes widened, seeing black markings beginning to seep into his flesh, crawling up and up towards him.

"I have to admit, this'll be my first time possessing a vampire." Asuramaru admitted with a snicker as he turned his back to Yuuichiro. "Goodbye, little vampire. It was nice meeting you."

 _'D-damn, cocky son of a...!_ ' Yuu growled, trying to find a way to move. He was starting to become numb. His arms weren't moving anymore. He legs felt as if they were weighted with lead. _'C'mon, move! You're my body! Move!'_ He tried to thrash, move his head and maybe tear out the thorns with his teeth, but his body wouldn't obey him. Worse, exhaustion was beginning to settle, despite not being tired. His eyelids were becoming heavy. He could barely keep his eyes open. _'No... No way... Am I really...going to fail here...?'_

After everything he went through, after everything that happened, was he really going to die here?

...no.

 _No._

 _ **NO!**_

He refused. He refused to die like some little vermin. He refused to die without fulfilling his promise. He promised his family that he would live! Alucard had instructed him to subjugate this little bastard! There was no way he could face him now if he failed his first lesson!

His rage and determination rejuvenated his body. He struggled against his painful bindings even more than before.

 _'Move! Move! Move! **Move damn you!'**_

Unknown Yuuichiro, his actions were stirring something awake. Something primal. In the back of his head, he heard the sound of a trumpet being sounded off. When it did, in the dark recesses of his mind, a pair of eyes opened, revealing only bloody crimson. Slowly, darkness began to swallow Yuu's form, crawling up his body and reaching for his face. All the while in his struggles, his grunts slowly devolved into growls.

* * *

Alucard paused, feeling a sudden tug on his existence. Looking over his shoulder, he found Yuuichiro's hand shaking. His breath was becoming labored. Panting, almost. His fangs were growing, extending past their normal reach. His pupils increased in size, becoming sharpened slits. The sight made Integra curious while the red clad vampire chuckled.

"Now you're starting to get it, kid. You can't just rely on skills alone. Otherwise, you'd be fighting like a human." he said. Whether or not the boy could hear him or not was up for debate. "Instead, rely on something else. Something that separates you from a _human_. Fight with the intent to _kill_ , not _subjugate_." His eyes burned in the darkness cast by his hat while a fearsome smile was plastered across his face. "Run wild! As a **_true_ **vampire would!"

* * *

A guttural roar ripped from Yuuichiro's throat, stopping Asuramaru dead in his tracks. "What?!" The demon cried as he spun around and felt a wave of primal power wash over him. The shadowed figure that was Yuuichiro Hyakuya broke off the thorns that kept him pinned and rose to his feet. Black and red shadows danced across his body, his form fluctuating between humanoid and something monstrous.

However, what truly caught his attention was what was spreading out from his back.

A pair of wings, or what were supposed to resemble wings. They resembled a mass of intertwining cord-like structures composed of the red and black shadows and are constantly fluctuating. The shadows twisted and bended them, distorting their shape. Yet even so, Asuramaru, despite being unable to recall anything from his time as whatever he may have been before becoming a demon, could recognize them. Seeing them made him scowl in anger.

"An angel?!"

That was what he thought at first, but reconsidered. While it definitely gave off the presence and aura of one of God's servants, this form was just too monstrous, even for them. There was something more primal and dreadful about it that Asuramaru recognized some of it close to a Nosferatu. But that's impossible! There was no Nosferatu Vampire that powerful! Not since...!

Then, suddenly, Asuramaru remembered it. One tiny fragment of his past. A story told to all vampire kind. About the firstborn Nosferatu. The one that all Skal feared and revered for being a true monster. One that had no qualms about who it slaughtered. Be it man, woman, human, monster and or otherwise.

"Don't tell me...you were sired by-?!"

He didn't get a chance to finish as Yuu appeared right in front of him and grabbed him by the face. He then slammed him to the ground. In fear and anger, Asuramaru conjured up thorns to impale and pull him off, only to find the thorns swallowed up by the shadows that covered his being. Said shadows were slowly consuming everything around Yuu, devouring the misty void in its entirety. Within those shadows, red eyes began to spread and appear, all staring at the pinned Asuramaru, who watched in horror as a mouth lined with fangs opened. In the next second, Yuu buried his face in his neck, sinking his fangs into the demon's flesh.

He didn't even get the chance to scream, as the darkness promptly swallowed him whole.

The rest...was silence.

* * *

"...well done."

By the time Yuuichiro had returned to his physical body, he found himself on his knees, panting heavily as sweat dripped from his forehead. He was holding on to the sword for support, but for some reason the blade crumbled away into pieces, leaving him to collapse on his knees. "I-I don't..." he swallowed, trying to catch his breath as he looked at Alucard, who beamed at him with a wide grin. "W-what was that?"

"That was what it means to be Nosferatu, kid." Alucard told him simply. "And congratulations on gaining your first familiar. I'll make a fine vampire out of you yet."

"Will he be ready for the field?" If he had any strength left in him, Yuu would have jumped. He didn't realize that Integra had entered the room at some point, as she was standing next to Alucard with a sharp look.

The vampire smiled. "That will be up to him."

"Very well, then." Her gaze diverted to Yuu's form. "Are you ready, boy?"

"Stop calling me boy." Yuuichiro briefly argued. He sighed then pushed himself back on his feet, albeit wobbly. "...when can I start?"

Integra smirked. Though he looked completely exhausted, he was clearly enticed by the prospect of carrying out what the Hellsing Organization did on a daily basis. "Immediately." she answered, gesturing at Walter. The old man smiled warmly as he held out a fresh change of clothes. "And be quick."

* * *

 _"About three weeks ago, there were reports of several disturbances within the Manchester region. Mass disappearances. Grissly murders. Vandalism. All manner of crimes. The only thing linking everything together were the copius amounts of blood found at the scenes of the crime, suggesting a slaughter. The blood was confirmed to belong to different victims. Without question, it's the work of a vampire. Your task is to shadow Alucard and deal with the freak before it can cause any further damage."_

That had been Integra's briefing and set of orders for the two Nosferatu. Shortly after arriving in the city. A heavy fog had rolled into the streets with lamps providing only a bare minimum of illumination. Given the recent incidents, it was hardly surprising to find almost no individuals outside this late at night, aside from Alucard or Yuuichiro, who gave himself a once over in his new attire. It was a bit on the large side, being a heavy military jacket with an armband on the right arm and the insignia of the Hellsing Family on the left breast pocket. Underneath the jacket was a black shirt with a neon green strip running diagonally across. Below, he wore cargo jeans with several large pockets on the sides of his legs, complete with heavy combat boots. Strapped over his shoulder was a katana, and at his waist a standard pistol.

"Another fine night." Alucard remarked as he looked up at the crescent moon hanging above. "It almost makes me want to grab a bite to drink."

Yuu cringed. It was at times like these that he had to remind himself that the man in front of him, while a terrifying monster, was also a vampire. "Can we just focus on finding the bloodsucker behind this and kill it?"

"Have patience, little pup. The hunt is only half the fun."

Yu doubted that. But who was he to judge? He was new to this after all. Might as well follow the boss.

Maybe he'll see things differently when the hunt begins.

* * *

"Tell me, Walter. How well do you think the boy will do out there?"

The old butler smiled thinly. "Speaking from experience, working with Alucard from my younger days, I imagine he'll be in for quite the rough ride. Especially since he was close to my age."

"I see. But given how you survived, I need not worry about the boy."

"Of course not, Sir Integra. The boy shows much promise. His Vampiric status only enhances it. Besides, if I may be heretical, the boy literally has God on his side."

* * *

"Uh... Why are we in the sewers?" Yuuichiro asked as he plugged his nose, unable to tolerate the disgusting smell that was flooding the place. It looked much the same of the sewers in Sanguinem, only built from brick rather than stone and metal. The waters were murky and filled with only god knows what, trash and feces floating about. The pipes were rusty, covered in some kind of disgusting muck. Not to mention the tunnels were cramped. It was barely big enough for Alucard to stand up straight, yet the man continued to walk forward. "No offense, Boss, but I don't think a bloodsucker is cliche enough to hide underground. Not to mention it reeks of shit!"

Alucard snickered. "The smell isn't coming from the shit that's everywhere in the sewer system, kid. Rather, the smell is from the blood that's in the water." Yuu blinked and looked down at the water he was standing in. He couldn't tell what was in it, since it was murky and all, but he could see the faintest tints of red. "It's vampire, human and lycan blood mixed together. Lycanthrope blood alone is disgusting to smell, but mixed with vampire blood? Heh. Let's just say it's a damn shame you can't get colds. At least then you wouldn't be able to smell anything from how congested you are."

"Lycanthrope?" Yuu asked. If he remembered right, that was a term for werewolves. "Does that mean the vampire's working with a werewolf?"

"Just follow the blood trail."

Alucard didn't say anymore than that. He had no need to. Yuu realized that his answered lied on the trail ahead. So he shut his mouth and continued onward. He kept a hand on the hilt of his katana to draw it on a moment's notice. Eventually, they reached a fork in the road. The right hand side continued to flow the dirty water, whereas the left side pulled them out of the filthy stream. It was the correct path to go, given that there was a human body lying there, half submerged in the water. Yuu felt sick to his stomach. Not the fact that there was a dead body in front of him, but that he felt nothing from it. Not a single thing. Alucard approached the body, heading up to the upper level and kneeled down next to the corpse.

"Human." he called out. "Rather fresh. Poor bastard's neck is ripped apart."

"Vampire?" Yuu asked immediately.

"No. Otherwise, the bite mark would be obvious." Alucard pulled the body out from the water. To Yuu's surprise, the poor bastard's face was soggy and disgusting, wrinkled and fat with veins bulging and his eyes missing. "From the look of it, though... It seems our target tried to turn the poor sod into a Ghoul, but before the transformation could be completed, the lycan killed it." Alucard snorted. "I doubt it tasted very good. It is a rotting sack of meat." Unceremoniously, he let the body fall back into its proper position and looked behind him. There was a steel door further down the tunnel. Written along the walls were graffiti, spelling out uncouth language. "Kid. Come here a moment."

Yuu scowled. "I told you, my name is Yuuichiro! At least try to remember." he grumbled, gratefully stepping out of the filthy muck. "What is it, Boss?"

"See if you can find the blood trail."

The young boy stared at him in confusion. "Uh, how do you suppose I do that? Look around for clues?"

"No. That is a human thing to do. You've spent two weeks a vampire. At least try and do something right." Alucard berated the boy. He parted some of his bangs and rapped his finger against the middle of his forehead. "Try using your mind's eye. Here, in the middle of your forehead. Human eyes can see so little."

"Another vampire ability? One you haven't trained me yet for?" He asked with a dead panned stare.

"This will be training in the field. Much better than at HQ. Now just try it out. Close your eyes, and imagine the eye on your forehead open up. All will be revealed."

Yuu scoffed, but did as he was told. He closed his eyes, letting the world sink into darkness. He did as Alucard instructed. In the middle of his forehead, he imagined it. A third eye, opening up. In the middle of the darkness, he could see it clearly. A streak of red, flowing out and curving into a single point. Behind that door, he could see it. The streak, flowing downward and moving into a single moving form that walked back and forth below them. There were other figures of red moving about. Ten. Twenty. Thirty. Forty.

Yuu opened his eyes and found the red streak still there. "What...?"

"That's the scent of blood, still lingering in the air." Alucard said with a grin. "The scent of a human's death, clinging to that vampire like an inescapable odor." He glanced down at Yuu, who was staring at the ground. "And I take it you saw more than just our little friend."

"...there's lots of them behind that door. I counted maybe, forty? No, fifty?"

"Is that right?" Seeing the bloodthirsty grin on Alucard's face, Yuuichiro backed away, suddenly nervous. From what Walter spoke about the man, he was someone who wanted to fight someone to push him to his utmost limits. To feel what it was like to be on the brink of defeat. To slaughter his opponent to the very last of their pathetic resistance. The air around him shifted, heavy with death and destruction as he walked forward, each footfall equal to the tolling of a bell, signalling the end. "Let's hope it should be fun, otherwise this hunt will be rather boring..."

Yuu debated whether or not he should stay back and let Alucard have his fun, or join him for combat experience.

"Come along, kid. Have a share of the fun."

...well, that answered that.

Sighing, he quickly followed after Alucard, yet unable to stop the anxious grin on his face. This would be it. His first real fight with a vampire. His first real steps to avenging his family and wiping these fuckers off the face of the Earth.

He gripped his sword in anticipation. He was quite eager to stain it in the blood of his enemies.

Alucard pulled the door open and stepped inside. What greeted them was...a place that did not belong inside a sewer.

Unlike the rancid and dull tunnels, the space the door led to was actually quite clean and bright in comparison. It was a wide open space, large enough to house maybe two or three jumbo jets. Circling the area was the catwalk in which the two Nosferatu stood upon. Down below, however, there was activity buzzing around. Several crates and metal containers were being moved around, shoved into jeeps and such. Men dressed in dark clothes were moving around, some moving the cargo and the rest were armed with rifles and other such firearms. Among the group was a soldier garbed in black with a scarf covering the lower half of his face. His hair was swept back, but his eyes were sunken and wide as if he were a zombie.

He was their target.

"Ten lycanthropes and over thirty Ghouls." Alucard counted the number of men down below, his grin increasing. "How fun~" He rubbed his neck, cracking it before he adjusted his sunglasses. "Releasing Art Restriction to Level 5. Power will remain unchecked until target has been silenced." he said, almost in a trance-like state before his bloodthirsty demeanor returned. In the next second, he was descending down into the center of attention.

"H-hey!" Yuu cried out. "Shouldn't we make a plan or something?!"

Alucard had a plan, alright. And that was to gun every last one of these Freaks down without mercy. He landed right in the center of this mysterious facility. In response to his arrival, every man in the facility was alerted and rounded on him. Immediately, guns were trained on him, primed and ready with fingers on the trigger. The Ghouls groaned, slowly approaching while the more burly figures let out low, animalistic growls, keeping their distance. They could smell the copious amounts of blood spilled on this man's body. It was as if blood was engraved into his very being.

The apparent leader walked forward into Alucard's line of sight, looking rather composed for a vampire that was knew it was going to die. "...the Hellsing family's domesticated vampire." he said, voice low and raspy. "What an honor." He glanced up, finding Yuuichiro up on the catwalk and promptly flinched after being discovered. "I assume the child up there is your fledgling?"

"And if he is?" Alucard said as he aimed his Casull at the vampire. "You've been a naughty little thing, causing so much trouble here in Manchester."

"We were merely just having our fill of blood and chaos. You cannot expect a group like this to walk around famished, now could you?"

"Funny. Your actions are naught but mindless murder and vandalism. Acts befitting those of a true barbarian. You can cut the courteous facade." Pulling the hammer back, Alucard yelled. "Come on, kid! Time to play!" With that, he pulled the trigger, sending a bullet straight to the leader's way, only for him to dodge with ease and flip himself atop a jeep, glaring at Alucard with crimson eyes.

Yuuichiro groaned. "So much for plans!" He leaped over the railing of the catwalk, drawing his katana. According to Walter, the blade had been blessed and was forged from pure silver, so it would be than capable of killing vampires and werewolves alike, regardless of who they were. When he touched the ground in a crouch, four Ghouls were already upon him, leaping straight at him with their mouths open. Without hesitation, he drew his katana and let it carve into their flesh, slicing off their necks and lopping off their heads in a single stroke.

Their remains crashed to the floor in lifeless heaps. They did not get back up. While the others were surprised by his usage of Hoyl weaponry, Alucard capitalized on their opening and pumped blessed shelled bullets into their brains and hearts. Yuu took to the ground and razed any Ghoul, Lycanthrope, or bloodsucker he came across. He moved faster than any Ghoul, a blur streaking across the facility with silver blade in hand. Blood and ash flied into the air as he moved, cutting down anything that moved. Momentarily, he stopped to cut down five Ghouls around him, spinning his body around to slice them all, sending them off from their legs. Unfortunately, this moment proved to be his undoing as he was soon pounced upon by a towering fur-covered creature with the head of a wolf and the body of a man.

"Get off me!" Yuu roared, kicking the Lycanthrope off of him before he pulled himself back to his feet. Then he took notice of his surroundings. Werewolves had begun to gather, shedding their human form and circling around him. Cursing, he readied his sword. "Great... Now I'm going to be some dog's chew toy. Great."

"What are you doing, kid?" Alucard called out to him, still in the midst of his own slaughter. A Ghoul leaped up from behind a crate, trying to attack him from behind. Without even looking, the man aimed his pistol over his shoulder and pulled the trigger, blowing its brains out and sending it back to the floor in a bloody heap. "Did you forget? You have an ally with you." Yuu frowned in confusion. At first, he didn't understand what Alucard was getting at. Then he remembered, having gained an ally only hours ago. Alucard grinned. "Now you're starting to get it. Let your familiar run wild to its hearts content. Let it tear out their throats."

Grinning, Yuuichiro swiped his hand through the air. "You got it, Boss!" Slamming his hand down on the floor, Yuu's face became overtaken in shadow, leaving only his bloody eyes visible. Pouring out from his back was a wing of red and black, streaming out like a waterfall. Slowly, something seemed to pull itself out from the writhing mass, struggling to break free.

"Come out and play... _Asuramaru_!" He cried out the name of his familiar. From the mass of swirling shadows, a flurry of sharp thorns shot out and skewered any lycanthrope that was in their path. Some of them fell dead while the others grew wary. Then out from the shadows came the petite, androgynous vampire from before. "Time to earn your keep!"

Asuramaru opened his mouth, revealing his fangs to be even sharper. His horns were even more pronounced and his fingernails had grown longer, even sharper. They had become claws. As soon as he opened his eyes, a manic smile became etched into his face. "Don't boss me around!" the demon retorted, but didn't refuse the order and launched himself at the group of Werewolves. One of them tried to swipe at the demon, but he was too slow. The next thing he knew, his arm had been sliced off and his throat torn out. The other werewolves were also slow to react, as they were impaled by thrones sprung from below.

It was a gruesome sight, to be sure. Blood and ash were filling the air like a sponge. It was a beautiful spectacle. A ballad of blood and gore that would make a lesser vampire swoon with ecstasy. This conflict had brought out the absolute monster in them all. The vampires and Ghouls acted out of anger, bearing their fangs and retaliating while the lycanthropes fought to survive. However, to the three who were causing this slaughter, it was enjoyable. Alucard enjoyed battle and thrived in it, especially as the vampire he was tasked with eliminating was far faster than any vampire he had come across. It was like a game of cat and mouse. But for Yuuichiro, it was a cathartic release he had never felt before. With each dead bloodsucker on his blade or a Ghoul cut down, a disturbing smile began to grow. He couldn't help but smile. So much blood was being spilled. So much blood, and all of it belonged to the bastards who took everything away from him! This was incredible! For Asuramaru, who's thoughts were in utter disarray, thrown into a maddening frenzy who only wanted to rip apart everything he could get his hands on, there was no greater feeling that slaughtering everything in his path. Such was his nature as a demon. As a vampire.

Truly, this was a sight made for vampires.

* * *

"It still bothers me greatly why in the world Alucard chose to sire the poor lad, even if he is an angel." Walter said as he poured Integra a fresh cup of tea. It had been quite some time since Alucard and Yuuichiro had departed, but neither of them were truly worried. As they had conversed about earlier, so long as Alucard was there, the boy would be fine. Yet the boy was Walter's primary concern, both as an adult and as a man. "He may be one of those that will bring about the end of the world, if you would believe the reports, but he is still a child. To bring him into this world - our world - and have him fight for us..."

Integra sighed, reclining in her chair as she doused what little remained of her cigar. "I've long since given up what goes on inside Alucard's head, Walter." she confessed. "Trying to understand the creature that is the Hellsing family's legacy is trying to understand the reason why God allows what goes bump in the night to exist. Perhaps he's starting to act his age and wants companionship? Or perhaps he was feeling a sense of whimsy? Who can say, really?"

"Even so, I can't help but feel apprehensive." Walter told his master, folding his hands behind his back. "The boy led a harsh life, according to Alucard. How long do you suppose he was in captivity for?"

"The boy is 12 years old, correct?" the head of Hellsing asked, earning a nod. "And if memory serves, Japan went dark in 2012, so...eight years being drained by the Skals." Walter grimaced, unable to imagine what life must have been like. How long had it been since the poor child had seen sunlight? "However, while we're on the subject of the boy, something has been bothering me. He is one of the Seraph of the End, isn't that correct? And his family name... Hyakuya, was it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"...Walter. What was the name of that occult group mentioned in the report?"

"Their name was was... _Hyakuya_." Walter's eyes widened in realization. Just how did it not click in his mind until now? Suddenly it all made sense. "The Hyakuya Sect... S-Sir, you don't think that they-?!"

"It's odd, don't you think?" Integra asked, taking the moment to savor her tea, down to the last drop on her tongue before she set it back down slowly. "The Skals must have known what those children were. Monsters that are capable of ending the human race and rendering their only blood supply extinct. It would have been better to turn them into Vampires, or kill them. Instead, they took those children into their custody, but for what purpose? Whatever the case may be, Walter... The enemy willingly allowed a danger like that boy to exist. The question is, why?"

Walter stared at Integra for the longest moment, trying to understand what could possibly be going through his lord's head before he spoke again, somehow finding his throat dry. "Is...is that why you allowed him to join the Hellsing Organization? As Alucard's fledgling?"

"I will admit that I wasn't too sure at first, given how much of a wild card that boy could've been. However, Alucard seemed confident that he would serve the Hellsing Organization well. But now that he is, it will give us the opportunity to figure out the reasons behind his circumstance." She took another sip. "In addition, having a Seraph of the End on our side, as Alucard's Fledgling, is quite the boon to our forces as well. We may be able to gather more information about the project the Sect was conducting as a whole."

She took out the tin in her pocket, removing the lid. Much to her disappointment, she only had one cigar left.

"Besides," she added as she took it out, slipping it into her mouth and gesturing for Walter to light it. "Someone with a grudge against vampires is already a fine tool as is."

* * *

 _*bang*  
*bang*  
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*bang*_

Second Lieutenant Henri Richard had been a vampire since World War II. How long had passed since then was of little consequence to him. All that mattered to him was his mission. And yet, here and now, his mission was but a mere secondary objective. When he became an undead, his life was unknown to him at that point. What should he do now, he once asked? What path could he take now? And then he came, and showed him the way. The path that should be taken.

And he had given him his orders. The orders that he would follow, even now. His original task was now a secondary objective, for now his primary mission lay before him. A vampire above all others. A true monster beyond comprehension.

The one known as Alucard.

"Your speed is impressive." Alucard praised once Henri landed atop a mountain of crates, staring down at his foe from up high and at a safe distance. "Your certainly faster than the average vampire."

"There is a reason for that..." Henri said as he pulled down the scarf that covered the lower half of his face. Alucard faltered for a moment, his eyes widening for a fraction of a second. Rather than a human mouth lined with fangs meant to sink into flesh, the lower half of his jaw was disfigured. Disproportionate to his upper mouth, it was elongated and narrow, slightly longer than it should have been. There was no lip nor flesh that surrounded the gums. Only mere bone and raw muscle. "I am, by your standards, a failed experiment."

"Lycanthrope and vampire...?" Alucard questioned, seemingly intrigued before he grinned. "An impossibility like you exists? It would certainly explain your speed!"

Henri would have smiled if he could. Instead, he rolled his neck, ridding himself of any cricks that plagued him earlier while he was working. "My superior gave me orders, you see. To eliminate the Hellsing family's pet dog. After seeing your skill, however, as well as that child of yours... I have half a mind to question if he sent me to my death."

"Do you intend to run?"

"Would it matter? Your gun is already loaded and your aim is perfect, you filthy Englishman. I am already dead!" Without further ado, he charged at Alucard, leaping from his throne of crates. The gloves on his hands were ripped to shreds, revealing raw skin and sharpened claws, bone sticking out from the tips.

"Well said!" Alucard cackled as he jumped several meters back and continued to fire his gun. While the hybrid was capable of dodging them, a few had managed to graze his flesh, but nowhere near the head or heart.

Henri landed on the ground, all fours firmly planted on the floor before he dashed straight at Alucard. In seconds, he was in front of the man, slamming his claw straight through his chest before slipping his other claw in, grabbing hold of his spine. Despite the situation, the vampire grinned madly, even as he was promptly torn in half and thrown aside. Both halves crashed to the ground on either sides of the room in a bloody mess.

Henri panted as he stared at the remains. He snorted. "Really? Was that the best the Hellsing's guard dog can do? I'm disappointed."

 ** _"Oh? Then allow me another chance to impress you."_**

His eyes widened, watching as the two halves of Alucard suddenly melted away into black fluids, slowly converging into a singular puddle. Out from that puddle was a crimson arm bearing a white hand. In that hand was a long silver handgun.

 _"Qu'est-ce que-?!"_

Before he had a chance to understand what was going on, the arm bent at an angle, taking aim and firing a bullet that smashed straight into Henri's knee, obliterating it completely and reducing it to mere shreds of flesh and blood. Releasing a howl of pain, Henri fell down to the floor, cradling his stump. It was intense. Burning, even. The bullet was still there. It was stuck in his bone. It was searing itself into his flesh. Oh, how he wished he could have bitten his lip or gritted his teeth. Perhaps then he could find a way to withhold his pitiful whines. With one claw holding his leg in place, the other claw dug into the remains of his leg, slicing and cutting into chunks of meat and elicting further screams before he was able to pull out the bullet at last.

Of course, as he did this, he never noticed the other red arm emerging out from the puddle. Then came a head of black hair. Slowly, Alucard pushed himself out from the puddle, bringing the black liquid with him as it was originally a part of him. The last of the fluid clung to his boots, absorbed into his being. Standing at full height, he looked down at Henri, who was trying to push himself back up and using a crate for support.

"You dug out the bullet to save you further pain... You're certainly dedicated. I'll give you that." Henri couldn't speak due to the pain, so he settled with giving Alucard a heated glare. "Such tenacity. I respect that. However..." He pressed the muzzle of his gun to the failed hybrid's head. "This makes checkmate."

He pulled the trigger and blood, skull fragments, and gray matter so,altered everywhere. Henri's body stayed still for a moment before it crumpled on itself, falling to the floor and reduced to ashes. Smoke danced from Alucard's casull before he slid it back into his coat, smirking. "Mission complete." he remarked before he looked at the facility. When he did, his grin increased.

Corpses. Dead bodies everywhere, belonging to lycanthrope, vampire and Ghoul alike. Standing in the center of it all was a blood-drenched Yuichiro Hyakuya with Asuramaru lazily sitting on one of the vehicles.

The boy panted with a maddened grin as the cathartic feeling had yet to die down. He swung his katana to rid the blade of blood.

"Looks like you enjoyed yourself, _Yuuichiro_." Alucard said, using the boy's name for the first time. It also served to sever the boy from his blood drunken stupor. "Quite the beautiful sight... It's quite impressive. You're still a fledgling, but you managed to slaughter all these monsters." Yuu looked at Alucard, just now noticing his boss' presence before he looked around, finally noticing the dead bodies that surrounded him. All torn to pieces or sliced apart into chunks. "Then again, I suppose I should have expected that. After all, you are..."

"I... Did I do all this?" Yuu asked in a quiet whisper, as if he couldn't believe he had killed all these creatures. The lycanthropes looked like dead wolves, diced and sliced and ready to be sent to the slaughterhouse to be skinned and cleaned. The Ghouls were decomposing already, flesh rotting and sliding off their bones while the vampires had long since been reduced to ashes. The sight left him stunned as he stared at his hand. The same hand that caused all this.

Alucard chuckled. "Indeed, you did. It's your first step into our world."

Yuu was silent before his lips quivered, slowly curving into a smile. He palmed his face, shoulders trembling as a quiet laugh escaped from his throat. ' _I did it. I killed them. I killed all of them. These goddamn bloodsucking bastards! I killed them! I killed them! I killed them all!'_ The quiet snickers devolved into chuckles. Then it rose to become laughter. _'Did you see me, everyone?! Did you see me, Mika?! Akane?! I killed the vampires! I **slaughtered** them!'_

As Yuuichiro, lost in the throes of delightful madness, continued to laugh himself silly, Asuramaru looked at his master with an eyebrow raised before he shrugged. "What a weird brat I've been enslaved to." he said before he looked at Alucard, narrowing an eye. "...hey, you. Big man in red. You the one who turned the angel over there into a Nosferatu?"

"What would you do if I was?" Alucard asked with a grin, sizing up the creature before him. It was quite interesting. It was truly a Skal, but its presence was corrupted. Impure. Well, moreso than it was. The result of a vampire becoming a demon. It had been his first time gazing upon the creature in person.

Asuramaru looked at Alucard, gazing upon every feature this monstrosity of a vampire before him laid bare. Yet even he, a mere demon made into a familiar, could tell that there was something else hiding behind that fleshy disguise. A demonic force that made him shake just from thinking about it. "...I have to ask. What kind of vampire turns an angel into one of their own?"

"Let me ask a question of my own: what kind of vampire turns into a demon and then becomes a tool for the humans to toy with as they please?"

"...touche..." Asuramaru huffed in frustration. He truly had no comment to counter that. It wasn't like he wanted to be one by choice though. But then again, it also inadvertently answered his own question.

An unusual vampire indeed.

Eventually, Yuu's maddened laughter finally calmed down, yet his gleeful grin remained. Even though he was a fledgling, he managed to kill all of these monsters. Granted he had help from Asuramaru and Alucard, but it was a magnificent first step for him.

 _'Just you wait you bloodsucking Skals...'_ His crimson eyes glowed menacingly beneath his bangs. _'Next time we meet...you're all **dead**!'_

* * *

"An excellent first mission, indeed." Integra marveled at the report in her hands. For a moment, she wondered if someone had given her the wrong dossier, since she was one who doubted everything and believed nothing. Yet the report before her did not lie or fib or muddle the truth. "Twelve vampires, ten werewolves, and over thirty Ghouls. And the boy, excluding the ones slain by his familiar, killed at least a dozen of the bastards." She sucked in a foul breath, courtesy of her cigar before she exhaled, blowing a thick pale cloud as a smirk danced upon her face. "Looks like the Hellsing Organization received quite the boon, wouldn't you say, Walter?"

Walter shared her enthusiasm. While the child was certainly no Alucard, his skills were impressive. But this was but the first of many long battles. There were still so many more that lied ahead of them. And with each battle, the boy would surely grow stronger and stronger. And stronger still. "And to think, this is capable without him drinking blood. I'd hate to imagine what it must feel like as a vampire on the receiving end of the child after he's drank blood and awakened as a full-fledged scion of the night."

Integra nodded in agreement. It was quite the terrifying thought, yet at the same time an interesting one indeed. What would he be capable of, once he's fully come to accept what he had become? She looked back at the report and eventually stopped, eyes narrowing dangerously. "...Walter." she called out to her butler and caretaker since the day she became the head of Hellsing. "Come here a moment and look at this." The butler looked puzzled, but went over to her side. "This is a photograph taken by one of our operatives. It was found inside one of the containers that were being loaded into the jeeps." Walter leaned forward, narrowing his eyes to get a better look, only for it to fall and be sucked dry of color.

"...oh dear God in Heaven."

* * *

 _"...what the hell's this?!"_

Asuramaru, who had yet to return to his place within Yuuichiro Hyakuya's body, cocked his head as he sat atop a desk, swinging his legs. "What's the matter, brat?" he asked.

"One, don't call me brat!" Yuu snapped, his head comically expanding. "I'm your master dammit! And secondly, what's the matter?! THIS is the matter!" He gestured to the...the... _thing_...that was where his bed was supposed to be. "Why the hell is there a coffin where my bed used to be?! More importantly, what the hell happened to my bed?!"

"...are you serious? You do know you're a vampire, right? Vampires sleep in coffins, you twit." Asuramaru deadpanned, unable to tell if his master was just slow on the uptake as he thought he was or simply just an utter moron. Most likely the latter. "And it's also somewhat necessary, since the soil inside the coffin is meant to give you some strength."

Yuuichiro glared at Asuramaru, showing off his pearly whites. "How is dirt supposed to help me?"

"Soil from a vampire's homeland keeps them energized. In top form when they don't have access to blood." the demon explained, waving a hand. "It's one of the few things I remember from my old life. To be honest, I don't have very many memories of my vampiric life. Not that I care much for it. The only thing I care about now is my own survival, which is now tied to yours since you made me your familiar." One of the more annoying aspects to the bond between vampire and familiar. Rather than being released upon the master's death, the familiar would die with them. In some cases, should the vampire master perish, it would be the familiar who died instead, as the master would use their life energy to give them a second chance. A most despicable tactic, one that Asuramaru hoped this foolish child wouldn't dare to use. Hopping off the desk, he let out a small yawn and walked toward Yuuichiro, his body slowly unraveling into darkness. "I'm going to sleep. Try and catch some rest, _brat_. Something tells me we've got a long road ahead of us."

Yuu felt a slight shiver run down his back as the darkness that had been Asuramaru flow back into him, consumed by his own being and vanishing without a trace. As the experience passed, the former human clicked his tongue. "I just said not to cal me brat." he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Stupid familiar. I thought they were supposed to be obedient."

Yuu looked back at the coffin that was now meant to be his new bed. In disgust, he kicked the coffin, though despite hitting it at full strength, it didn't shatter or get sent flying. Rather, it was completely unaffected. Angrily, he walked over to the corner of his room and slid down to his rear, curling his legs up to his chest before resting his head against his knees.

Tonight had been...wonderful, yet frightening. He could barely remember how he acted, slicing apart those men as if it was nothing. They may have not been human, with a few being the same species that took his family away from him, but he still couldn't help but feel disturbed by what he did.

Just what was he becoming?

"Is this...what it means to be a vampire?" Yuu found himself asking. He dreaded the day he would receive the answer to this question before he closed his eyes, hoping to drift away into peaceful slumber. As he was pulled into unconsciousness, a name slipped out from his mouth in a mumble. "Mika..."

After six minutes, Yuuichiro Hyakuya fell asleep.

* * *

Unknown to him, however, Yuu had an audience. In the dark corners of his room, several eyes peered out and watched him. Seeing the boy curled up in the corner rather than where he should have been, peacefully slumbering inside his coffin, the eyes closed and sunk into the darkness. On his gilded chair, Alucard smiled to himself.

"Give it time, kid." he said mostly to himself as he held up a wine glass, luscious red liquid sloshing around as he twirled it betwixt his fingers. "Give it time... And remember."

"You were the one to become that which you despise."

* * *

Overhead, a pale moon sat in the night sky. Compared to the night when Alucard had met Yuuichiro Hyakuya for the first time and brought him into his fold, it looked quite lonely for there were no stars lit in the night. Instead, only clouds obscured the black curtain hanging above the heads of everyone in the world, be them human, vampire and otherwise. The desolate streets of Shinjuku were empty, all save for one individual who looked up at the night sky.

"...what a disgusting night this is."

The speaker was a petite girl with calf-length, rosy-pink hair. She wore a black, frilly style dress with a layer of white ruffles over black ruffles on the skirt. She wore a white choker with a red ribbon around her neck, and detached, black sleeves that extended past her hands on her arms. She wore a pair of knee length, black heeled boots and a black cape with a red interior. Her hair was tied up in pig tails with black, bat-like ornaments.

The most prominent feature, however, were the pair of large, sharp, slight-slanted red eyes, pointed ears, and fangs. These were all common features among vampires.

This little girl was known as Krul Tepes, a third progenitor and the Vampire Queen of Japan.

Even among the Skal Vampires, her name was well respected. Ever since humanity had broken the taboo and brought forth the wrath of God, Krul had been tasked by the Second Progenitor to govern Japan. The task was relatively easy, at least at first. Gathering the children and then bringing them to Sanguinem where they could be raised in peace. Admittedly, she didn't care to continue what education they started. They should simply be content with living, shouldn't they?

Recently. however, she had suffered a massive headache. Because of that damnable Ferid Bathory's antics, she had lost several of the Hyakuya children. In the end, she was forced to turn what little was left of her little Seraphs into vampires. They hadn't taken their new predicament very well. Hell, the other day, she caught one of them trying to commit suicide. Thankfully, she had someone on hand who caught them in the midst of the act and stopped them before serious damage could be done.

Goodness, what troublesome children.

It had been a few weeks since those events. For now, things were calm. However, Krul's mood was not pleasant. She had been receiving word about that damn group of humans who had been the primary cause behind the taboo being broken in the first place. The Japanese Imperial Demon Army, they called themselves. The last bastion of humanity. What a joke. Still, they were more trouble than she anticipated. She was getting reports that outposts were being attacked by the day. Losses were reported by the day, and her temper was growing shorter with each vampire dead on the street.

Why must humans be so damn troublesome?

"...milady." Krul looked over her shoulder, finding one of the lower ranked vampires approaching behind her. A hood was pulled over their head, but she could easily make out their fangs and red eyes. He stopped at a few feet from her, kneeling before her and lowering his head in respect. "In regards to the incident several weeks ago, in which our outpost out near the Southeastern port was attacked, we managed to gather intel about the attacker."

Krul's eyes hardened. "Tell me."

"Contrary to our initial assumptions, it was not the humans from the Demon Army. Rather, the attacker came from outside the country. The weapons used were also not Cursed Gears. Examination of the bullets revealed that they had received holy blessings."

Krul scowled at this knowledge. The idea that an outsider had made their way to Japan was concerning. "...when the Demon Army broke the taboo and heralded the end of every adult human here in Japan, we overthrew its government and took control. The governments of neighboring countries wouldn't dare cause an international incident, so they merely stand and watch, cautiously waiting for the first spark of a war to brew. They know we control Japan now. And yet they sent a human hunter here?"

"Actually, milady..." the vampire spoke nervously. "One of the survivors had managed to successfully tail the hunter in question. It seems that a Nosferatu Vampire had managed to find its way here to Japan and was attempting to seek asylum to us. This Nosferatu was the hunter's main target. However, there was a complication."

"What complication?" At first, he didn't answer, likely afraid his response would displease her. Narrowing her eyes, she turned to the vampire and walked up to him, causing further discomfort. " _What_. _Complication_?"

Swallowing the lump in his throat, the lowly servant continued. "From what they saw...the escapee was taken hostage by the Nosferatu."

The large piece of rubble next to her shattered as her power flared. She was angry. That escapee, one of her little Seraphs, was taken hostage by one of those abominations?

"...anything else?"

Realizing he was to tread carefully, lest she obliterate him on the spot out of anger, he continued cautiously. "The hunter encountered the Nosferatu and confronted him. It had found members of the Demon Army sniffing around, likely a reconnaissance squad of sorts, and turned them into Ghouls. The Nosferatu had the hunter gunned down on the spot and talked of how it would offer the escapee back to us in exchange for its safety."

"And? What happened next?"

"...the hunter got back up and healed his wounds before it dispatched the Ghouls and Nosferatu. However, he had to shoot through the escapee." the vampire told her. Krul's eyes narrowed dangerously. Seeing this as a sign he was in danger, he hurriedly added. "A-after shooting, the hunter took hold of the boy. According to the survivor...the hunter sunk his fangs into his neck."

Krul blinked, taken by surprise. "...you mean to say the hunter from the outside was a _vampire_?" she questioned. "A Nosferatu Vampire?" He nodded. Pursing her lips, she folded her arms. So another of her little Seraphs had been forced to become a vampire... And worse, a Nosferatu. She wasn't sure what annoyed her more. The fact that she lost another Seraph, or the fact that a third angel was now an undead bloodsucker. Even worse was the fact that, chances were, the boy was now out of her reach. Far away from Japan. "Does our survivor remember what this Nosferatu look like?"

"Y-yes." the vampire nodded, relieved that he was to yet see another day. "Tall, powerful and dressed all in red. He called himself Alucard."

Krul felt her blood turn cold. For a moment, she felt as if her still beating heart had started again out of fright. Without provocation, she grabbed the poor sod by the collar of his cloak, bringing him face to face with her. Thus, the vampire saw her look of utter fear and panic. "You lie!" she screamed. "Tell me you lie! Tell me that was not who they saw!"

"I-I-I speak the t-truth!" The lesser vampire gasped in fear. "He...he called himself A-Alucard!"

Krul froze as her hopes were dashed. She unceremoniously dropped the vampire to the ground and backed away, a haunted look on her face.

"M-milady?" The messenger cowered.

She sucked in a breath, trying to calm herself down. "...please inform the Progenitor Council I will be holding a meeting." she said as evenly as possible. The vampire, terrified from earlier, nodded and quickly took his leave. Now left alone, Krul looked up at the night sky, once again finding it utterly detestable.

She wasn't sure if his appearance here spelled the end for them, but there was thing she knew for sure.

The No Life King had come to Japan and had made a Seraph of the End his fledgling.

Things have officially gone from bad to worst. Now foreign powers had access to a complete Seraph at their disposal. Their enemy depended on who Alucard affiliated himself with. But knowing the stories about him...any encounter with him would be tantamount to an immediate grave.

She could only prey that she was not the one in his sights, for if she was, then all she could ever hope to do was pray to God that her death was a quick one.

* * *

VAMPIRE REQUIEM

-Chapter 1 of 10-

* * *

 ** _Our Father, who art in heaven,  
_** ** _hallowed be thy Name,  
_** ** _thy kingdom come,  
_** ** _thy will be done,  
_** ** _on earth as it is in heaven._**

 ** _Give us this day our daily bread._**

 ** _And forgive us our trespasses,  
_** ** _as we forgive those  
_** ** _who trespass against us._**

 ** _And lead us not into temptation,  
_** ** _but deliver us from evil._**

 ** _For thine is the kingdom,  
_** ** _and the power, and the glory,  
_** ** _for ever and ever._**

 ** _Amen._**


	2. II

Disclaimer: I do not own Seraph of the End or Hellsing. Both are products of Takaya Kagami and Kouta Hirano respectively. The only thing I own are the series of events that transpire and the massive amounts of bloodshed and gore.

* * *

 **A Seraph of the End x Hellsing Crossover:**

 _ **"World Without Logos"**_

* * *

 _Vampires._

 _In ancient legend and myth, they are the true rulers of the night. Blood sucking creatures, who command otherworldly forces and feed on the necks of poor, unfortunate souls._

 _However, unknown to the masses, there exists an organization, who's task is to eliminate these creatures. They are known as the Hellsing Organization._

 _Within the Hellsing Organization is a powerful creature. A vampire, beyond the likes of which ordinary men have never seen. He is feared by vampire and humankind alike, and is known by many names._

 _The ultimate vampire. Hellsing's guard dog. The No Life King._

 _...Alucard._

 _This, is the story of a soul who's fate becomes entangled within this world of darkness._

 _"In the name of God, impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation. Amen."_

* * *

 **-II-  
BLEEDING HEARTS  
**

* * *

The Progenitor Council.

The ruling, governing body that commands the entirety of the Skal Vampire race. It has existed for over several centuries, though one could say that it was still relatively new in the grand scheme of things. It had been founded six hundred years ago, following the emergence of the first Nosferatu Vampire. The emergence of a new brother in arms, followed by it raising a kingdom of night and death, had raised several alarms. Especially when many of their own had fallen prey to this new breed of bloodsucker. The damage had been quite severe, thus the oldest and most powerful of the Skal were forced to take control when their previous command structure fell apart as a result of the Nosferatu's lust for battle.

The conference room resided deep within Sanguinem's depths, secured and secluded from prying eyes. Only a Sixth Progenitor or higher was allowed entrance, thanks to the genetic scanning mechanisms put in place. Sadly, only three members of the Council besides Krul were able to attend the meeting, and even then, they were only presented on a holographic screen, forms appearing in their seats as mere projections.

To the left was the Fifth Progenitor, Ky Luc. Though he was 200 years younger than Krul, his power was not to be denied, and his personality was reflected in his attire. A simple formal suit with an overturned collar and a black laced tie. Despite the urgency of the meeting, he seemed rather laid back, leaning in the seat with his hands folded in his lap and one leg crossed over the other. To the right was the Krul's fellow Third Progenitor, Nix Parthe. Like Ky, he wore a suit, albeit lacking the formal jacket and with a pointed black mask over the upper half of his face, dark hair falling past his shoulders.

Sitting across from Krul, however, was the head of the Progenitor Council. The Second Progenitor, Urd Geales. His skin was light brown, perhaps tanned while his pale hair was neatly styled. Like every other vampire in attendance, his eyes were red and his ears were pointed. Like Ky and Nix, he wore a simple black suit, though his posture was quite serious. His elbows were propped on the table and his hands were folded, staring at Krul intensely.

The meeting hadn't even started, and already she was feeling nervous. Ordinarily, she would have felt quite at peace in these conferences, but the situation was different. She felt like she was walking towards her own execution. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she opened her mouth to speak and began the meeting. "Thank you for coming at such an urgent notice, milords."

"I have to admit, it was surprising for you to be calling for a meeting." Ky remarked with a slight grin. "And from how urgent it sounded, it must be quite serious. Are the humans causing you trouble, Tepes?"

"We are experiencing some difficulty, but nothing we haven't anticipated. No, there is another reason as to why I requested a conference at this time." Krul replied. She sucked in a breath, trying to remain as calm as possible. She had attempted to keep her secrets well kept and out of reach, but given the seriousness of the situation and the implications, she was forced to expose them. At the very least, however, she was revealing them rather than having someone else blow the whistle. "Before I begin, however, I wish to confess something to those present." Krul took another breath and looked at the head of the Progenitor Council straight in the eye. "I have willingly broken one of the rules of the Council."

Ky blinked rapidly, looking at Krul in confusion. Nix narrowed his eyes, opening his mouth to demand an answer, but was silenced when Urd raised his hand, giving him a glance. Backing down, the masked Progenitor quietly obeyed. Urd then refocused his attention to Krul. His voice was calm and cool, but beneath it was an authority that brought shivers down her spine. "Explain yourself, Third Progenitor Krul Tepes."

She nodded. "As you all know, following the violation of the taboo regarding the Seraph of the End, the Heavens brought down their wrath upon the humans who reside in Japan. Following the government's collapse and the death of over %80 of the adult populace, we usurped control of the nation and its assets. Upon our takeover, we were tasked with rounding up the human children and bringing them under our care. However, we were also given strict orders to eliminate anyone who was associated with the Hyakuya Sect. This included the orphans in their care, who were confirmed to possess the seraph gene." Urd nodded, fully aware of this. It only took half a second for him to realize exactly what rule she had violated and looked upon her sharply, demanding an explanation. "I ignored those orders and took the orphans under my care."

"My word..." Ky remarked, showing genuine surprise. "That is a serious violation of the rules, Krul. To be frank, I'm surprised _you_ were the one who broke it, especially considering your stance."

"You also told us you had completed your task, yet here you sit, telling us you blatantly lied." Nix hissed. "Why shouldn't we cut you down where you stand?!"

Urd sighed. "Nix. Calm yourself at once." he ordered. Nix ready to protest, but a sharp glare ceased all rebuttals at once. Seething, the masked Progenitor did as he was told, but still leveled a harsh glare at Krul. "Why have you broken the law, Krul Tepes?"

"I'm afraid the reasons behind my lies are my own. I will say nothing more."

Urd narrowed his eyes. Krul put on her best front, but internally, she was expecting him to order her execution. It was a grave mistake, choosing to hide the Hyakuya oprhans, but it was a mistake she did not regret. Choosing not to reveal her plans and motives would almost assuredly result in her being stripped of rank and punished severely. In all honesty, she fully expected to be dead by the time the meeting was adjourned, though she had made sure steps were taken in making sure the remaining orphans would be taken care of in her absence.

After a moment, Urd's gaze lessened and he straightened his back. "...I assume you revealing your betrayal has something to do with this urgent meeting, so I will withhold judgement until after it has been adjourned. Continue, Third Progenitor Krul Tepes."

Nodding, the pink-haired Skal continued. "Yes. A few days ago, a Nosferatu Vampire had managed to find its way here into Japan. It was apparently being hunted by organizations from overseas and was attempting to seek asylum. Due to the actions of Seventh Progenitor Ferid Bathory, however, one of the children under my care had escaped and was taken hostage by the Nosferatu, hoping it would be able to use them as a bargaining tool." And now, the most dreaded part about her report. Idly, she wondered what the reactions would be. "Evidently, a second Nosferatu Vampire had also arrived in Japan, apparently hunting the first one. It promptly eliminated them and proceeded to sire the child, as they had been seriously injured in the battle."

"A vampire hunting another vampire?" Nix frowned. "Why on Earth would they do that?"

Krul closed her eyes and tried to remain as calm as possible, bracing herself for what was to come next. "The second Nosferatu had killed the soldiers I had posted at one of the ports, though there was a survivor. According to their account, we were able to obtain a description. The second Nosferatu was clad in red and wielded a silver firearm. Examination of the bullets revealed them to possess holy properties."

"A hunter, then." Ky surmised. "But quite odd." He pursed his lips, putting a hand to his chin. "If memory serves, there was an organization overseas that was employing a Nosferatu of their own, weren't they? Could it be the same one?"

"It was." Krul nodded before she proceeded to drop the bombshell before them. "And we know the name of that Nosferatu: The No Life King, Alucard. Formerly known as Vlad Tepes, Impaler Prince and Count of Wallachia."

A dreadful silence fell upon the Progenitor Council. Krul had the look of the utmost disturb, showing that even she had been quite shaken by the appearance of the Nosferatu single-handedly responsible for this group's existence. Ky's casual and laid-back posture vanished in a mere instant, suddenly sitting up straight and postively alarmed with large eyes. Urd's eyes narrowed to the point where she could barely make out his iris and pupil, hands tightening. Nix froze on the spot, mouth open and closing with strangled words coming from his throat.

"...that's impossible." Ky was the first to speak, his voice in a whisper. "That is _not_ possible. We-we would have known if he was on the move."

"It is no lie." Krul stated as clearly as possible, voice hard. "We have confirmed it for ourselves. Alucard was here in Japan, and has sired a new Nosferatu."

Nix slumped in his seat, face pale. "Gods help us..."

"...Third Progenitor Krul Tepes." Urd said, his voice strained. "The escaped child. Was it one of the orphans possessing the seraph gene?"

"It was indeed, Second Progenitor Urd Geales. Yuuichiro Hyakuya, I believe his name was."

"How can you be so calm, Tepes?!" Nix howled, slamming his hands on the table. "Do you realize your own incompetence?! You allowed the bastard to not only sire a new Nosferatu, but it was a Seraph of the End! One of those you allowed to live?! Do you understand what you have done?!" Growling, he turned to Urd with an almost fanatic plea. "Milord! Order us to find that Nosferatu fledgling and end him!"

Urd raised an eyebrow, raising his head for the first time. "And pray tell, why would I do that?"

"Why not?! It is dangerous to allow a Seraph of the End to live! Especially now that he is under the thrall of that monster! If we attack now, however, while the boy has yet to harness his newfound powers, we can-"

Urd promptly cut him off. "If you think we can even attempt to stage an assault, Third Progenitor Nix Parthe, especially against the First Nosferatu, then you are a fool who is not worth his station." The vampire recoiled in shock as if visibly struck. Straightening his back, Urd raised his voice, laced with hints of respect, anger and sadness. "Have you forgotten why we call that man the No Life King? He may have been born 600 years ago, but the day of his birth was the day we founded this Council. On that day, he slaughtered countless Skals and made them his unwilling puppets. When we saw how dangerous this new breed of vampire was, we tried to eliminate him." His gaze hardened, almost becoming a glare that made Nix squirm. "You may have forgotten that day, but I have not." He then directed his gaze to Ky and Krul. "Have you two forgotten that day?"

"I wish I could forget." Ky admitted with a pained expression. "That day was hell on Earth for we Skal."

"I doubt there is not a single Progenitor who has forgotten that day." Krul said, closing her eyes in mourning.

The Second Progenitor nodded sharply. "Indeed. How could we forget? How could we erase from our minds the mere sight that humans would spin as mere fairy tales to strike fear into disobedient children? On that day, we learned that what the First Nosferatu was truly was. A _monster_. A demon of the likes of which we had never seen before. What had been a man feared by humankind as a depraved soul was a nightmare to us. Hundreds of thousands of our number had dwindled on that day. It was a massacre that left us lost and confused."

Once more, Urd focused his attention to Nix, who sank in his seat when Urd showed his fangs as he scowled fiercely. "He is no mere vampire. He is a true monster, one capable of killing even the likes of a Seraph of the End. Do you think we Skals call him the No Life King _without reason_? He earned that name because, for all intents and purposes, he is the most powerful Vampire in existence. If he were to come to Japan with the intent of killing every last Progenitor here, I can assure you, we would all be dead by the time the smoke settles!" He leaned forward, gazing burning holes through Nix. "And you, Parthe, have the _gall_ to try and order the death of his thrall? When it would mean we would have to face him?"

Nix was reduced to gibbering mess. His words were incomprehensible. Unintelligent. Seeing this, Ky wisely tried to bring peace back to the conference. "Let's all calm down here." he wisely advised. "What's done is done. Alucard now possesses a new fledgling that happens to be the Seraph of the End. That means his human masters, the Hellsing, are now involved with them, right? What do we do?"

"Nothing." Urd replied. "The Hellsings are not like the Hyakuya Sect or the Demon Army. The Seraph would have better use as a tool for their efforts in our extermination to them." He turned and faced Krul, who winced at the intensity of his stare. "This occurred because of your incompetence, Third Progenitor. How do you plea your judgement?"

She answered swiftly and truthfully. "Guilty, milord."

Urd grunted. "Very well. As you presented the truth by your own hand, I will not order your execution. However, you will not go unpunished. Fifth Progenitor Ky Luc will be in charge of your punishment. You will also be stripped of your position as Governor of Japan. Third Progenitor Lest Karr, effective immediately, will assume all control of your territory. Is that understood?"

"Yes, milord."

"Then... Meeting adjourned."

With that, the projections flickered and faded away, leaving an exhausted and dreadful Krul Tepes by herself in the room, slumping in her seat and palming her face, trying to calm herself down and cease the storm of confusion within her mind. Things had snowballed out of control. She could live with her punishment, but her subsequent removal of ruler of Japan? That was almost certainly going to cause trouble for her plans. Especially when that smiling bastard Ferid learned about this.

At the very least, however, she was able to keep the fact that her own fledglings would be safe. After all, they wouldn't be able to do anything to Seraphs who had been made into vampires. Of course, the same could be said about Yuuichiro Hyakuya, a newborn Nosferatu fledgling. Just the implications of such a thing, under the guidance of the most feared figure of all vampires, was enough to terrify her.

"Just what will that boy become...?"

* * *

"Man...I feel so tired..." Yuuichiro yawned as he and Alucard were off on another hunt in the dead of night.

"That is what you get for not sleeping in your coffin." His boss replied. "All vampires need to sleep in coffins filled with their birthplace's soil to maintain their strength if they don't drink blood. Not doing so only weakened you."

"Yeah, but did you honestly expect me to sleep in that thing? It was freaking small!"

"And you are a child." Alucard countered. "You would have grown into it."

"Actually, while we're on the subject, why the hell did you have to throw out my bed too?!"

"Because you don't need it anymore. As a Nosferatu, you'll be sleeping in a coffin for the rest of your unlife."

"Seriously? You just throw it away? What a waste...it was really comfy too." It was a hell of a lot better than the shitty holdings the bloodsuckers in Sanguinem gave them, that was for sure. "So, what does Integra-taichou want us to kill now? Actually, let me rephrase that." The grip on his katana tightened, and for a moment his fangs poked out from the corners of his lips. "How many oversized mosquitos do we get to kill today?"

Alucard chuckled. The boy was still far from becoming a proper vampire, but the bloodlust he displayed was exquisite. Then again, his vendetta certainly helped in that regard. "Patience, kid. We have all night to search and destroy. Just remember not to get overconfident. You'll only a newborn vampire, after all."

"I killed plenty of Ghouls and bloodsuckers the other day, didn't I?"

"Never underestimate your foe, no matter how weak they may be." At this, Yuuichiro was reminded of his first encounter with the red clad vampire back in Japan. How he had been gunned down mercilessly and torn to shreds before his body pulled itself back together, like it was nothing. Remembering this, the boy made sure to take such words to heart. "Now, let's start the hunt, shall we?"

* * *

Germany's underbelly had been swelling with activity for quite some time now, due to Lest Karr's more recent activities. They had nothing to do with his new appointment as the overseer and ruler of Japan, but it had certainly helped bolster his good mood. Things were going quite well, all according to his agenda and even more so. His authority governed those in the shadows and has vast influence over certain groups of interest. One of which was a great collaborator in his own plans. With their help, it had been rather easy, subjugating the resistance. A few political sabotages here, a few assassinations there, and before long, the Third Progenitor found himself in a much better position to rule over Germany. Better yet, Krul had made things even sweeter.

"That fool." he said with a sneer as he looked at the letter the Second Progenitor had sent him, in regards to his new position. "What was she thinking, allowing those monsters to live?"

It was a mystery. She allowed those Angels to live instead of killing them off as she was supposed to. Even worse? One of them was now a Fledgling of the most powerful and terrifying Nosferatu to ever walk the Earth. That was concerning. Were it anyone else, he would have sent someone to get rid of them, but Alucard? The No Life King? Lest was many things, but he was not suicidal. He still didn't like the idea of allowing the angel to live and grow stronger as a vampire under his tutilege, but he figured there would be plenty of opportunities, especially for what was to come.

"Sir." a Ninth Progenitor approached, bowing her head deeply towards him. "The zeppelin has been prepared."

"Thank you." Lest said, smiling as he removed himself from his throne. "Please inform Kyrial that he will be in charge of Germany until I return from Japan." The lowly Skal nodded and went off to find the aforementioned vampire. Kyrial was perhaps one of the more competent ones here, able to sweet talk and mesmerize anyone he came across. "Krul truly made a mess of things. Between allowing those monsters to live, she's done little to intervene with the human army that's been resisting us."

He honestly did now know what's as going on in her head. It seemed that she was neglecting nag her duties to subjugate the stragglers in Japan. Oh well, he'll just have to pick up the slack. Besides, how much trouble could this Demon Army really be? All they were was rebellious livestock wielding fancy toys.

"That said..." Lest had to consider with a troubled grimace. "If they were to learn that we told them a lie and that humanity has not truly died out and seek aid from foreign powers, this would become problematic. I'll have to make a few plans to make that doesn't happen."

* * *

In another part of the world, where humanity still went strong, there stood a modest yet grand church with children playing around at the front. All of them had bright smiles as they played, laughing and giggling.

And among them, standing watch, was a priest who took them under us a wing and raised them as if they were his own. He was a man of tall, muscular stature garbed in a white cassock, black pants, black boots, and a black shirt with a blue trim. His complexion was tanned and his hair was short, blonde, and slicked back. He had light facial hair along his square chin and a wedge shaped scar on the left side of his face. He wore a pair of round spectacles in front of his blue eyes.

"I figured we could find you here, Father Anderson." Looking over his shoulder, the priest found two women approaching him. One wore a black leather coat that came down to her calves, sunglasses sitting over her eyes with blonde hair. Next to her was a younger woman, garbed in the robes of a nun, dark hair spilling out from her cap. "Looking after the brats again?"

"Of course." Alexander Anderson smiled. "There's no greater pleasure. At least until they decide to get rowdy and need a good scolding. I try to tell them to save the violence for monsters and heathens, but do you think they listen?"

"Thy are only children, Father." The dark haired nun said. "It's in their nature to not listen until they are older due to a short attention span. Until then, they will just be brats."

"Very well. Then I'll have to just keep telling them. So, what brings you two here? I doubt you came all the way here for a social visit."

The blonde haired woman clicked her tongue. "Father Maxwell and Father Renaldo are in the meeting room, asking for you. Something about that vampire that tried to escape to Japan."

At this, Alexander smiled widely. "About bloody time." he said. Ever since news came to them about the Hellsing organization went overseas to hunt down a scurrying rat, he had been on edge for the last few weeks. Especially when they heard that said group also gained a new domesticated vampire in its ranks. As he stood up, Alexander looked at the children. "Play nice, you lot! I'm heading off to meet with Fathers Maxwell and Renaldo."

"Yes, Father!" they all cheered before resuming their games. Chuckling, Alexander left them to their own devices, and left with the two women to where his superiors waited.

* * *

 _The Hellsing Organization was not the only group who fought monsters in the dread of night. There were many in the world, each with their own specialties. Lycanthropes, vampires, goblins, demons, all manner of creatures._

 _There was one group, however, known among them all for their prowess. Devout servants to God who willingly sacrificed their lives to bring an end to the unholy walkers who perverted the world. They were the Vatican Church, but there was another group in the ranks who were especially known for its reputation._

 _The Iscariot Organization. A Black-Ops unit of the highest caliber. Also known as Section Thirteen that is remained hidden from the public. This organization has existed for the past 2000 years, ever since the conception of the Vatican._

 _Named after the one who betrayed the Son of Christ, the Iscariot Organization exists to purge the world of the heathens, heretics, and monsters. They are willing to dirty their hands so that others won't have to, as well as maintain the peace for humanity._

 _There are several excellent agents among their number. Heinkel Wolfe was proficient in firearms, and lived up to her namesake as a wolf who hunted her prey without relent. Yumiko Takagi was a skilled swordsman of the likes of which the world had never seen, famed for both her grace with a sword and her bloodlust for the deaths of heathens and monsters alike. Yet there was one who was feared and respected above all else. To heathens, he was a nightmare and their executioner. To heretics, he was a monster, far worse than any vampire. To monsters, he was their living bane._

 _And like Alucard, the No Life King of the Hellsing Organization, he too was called by many names. The Blade Master. The Bayonet Priest. Saint Guillotine. The White Knight. The Judas Priest. The Ripper. The Purifier. The Blue Light of Persecution. The Monster of God._

 _...Alexander Anderson._

 _He was the man who was the Vatican's and the Iscariot Organization's finest. Adept in both holy spells and combat, Alexander Anderson was unmatched by any beast._

 _While he was a terrifying force of nature on the battle field, he was also a caring, compassionate man. He took in numerous orphans under his wing and raise them to be fine individuals, some of them even joining Iscariot under his tutelage. To some, he was a kind-hearted soul, but to others, he was a merciless monster in human skin._

 _It was also for that reason why he was so valued by Iscariot, for there was no better man capable of slaying monsters than he._

* * *

The Meeting Room was fairly simple, if a bit too tacky for Alexander's tastes. The walls were painted a sterling white while some tapestries hung along he four sides of the enclosed space. There were some paintings and portraits hung as well. At the center was a grandiose meeting take with finely furnished chairs and a velvet rug with gold frayed edging below them. Above on the ceiling hung a chandelier.

Seated on the far end of the table were two figures.

To the left side was an old man with gray hair and round spectacles, a proud mustache sitting on his upper lip and dressed in dark robes, befitting his status as a priest. To the right side was a younger man, wearing a white dress shirt beneath a vest with dark slacks. His hair was swept back, tied back into a ponytail with violet eyes.

"Ah, Anderson." Father Renaldo said pleasantly. "You've come."

"I have, indeed." Alexander replied as Yumiko and Heinkel followed him on either side. "Sisters Heinkel and Yumiko already told me the basics."

"Basics, he says." Mawell scoffed bitterly. "If only it were that."

Renaldo frowned heavily. "I understand your anger, Maxwell, but do remember to keep your temper in check."

"In check?! Those Protestant bastards have not only _spit_ on the face of God, they _**dare**_ mock him! Why haven't I been ordered to gather my men and assault the Hellsing Organization?!"

Alexander frowned. "Wait, what is this about?" he asked, confused. Maxwell's hate for Protestants was something he was fully aware of, but the anger he was displaying was far more than just bitter anger. It stemmed from something else. And judging by his words, it was something important. "What's he talking about, Father Renaldo?"

The aging man sighed deeply. "It is best you sit down for this, Alexander." he advised. The priest did as he was told, and took a seat at the table. Taking the moment to compose himself, Renaldo folded his hands and set his elbows on the table. "A few weeks ago, we received reports that a vampire had escaped overseas, and was attempting to seek asylum in Japan, which we have now confirmed to be overrun by other, older vampires known as the Skals. The Hellsing Organization sent its own vampire after it, and when it returned, it had sired a fledgling."

"I've read the early reports." Alexander said, his mouth in a firm line. "The bastards turned a wee child into a freak." Were it not for the orders to remain on standby, Alexander would have jumped at the chance to raid Hellsing and kill the vampire for doing that. And then he'd kill every last man in Hellsing for allowing such a thing to happen. "But from the sound of it, it seems like there's more you've discovered."

"We have." Maxwell nodded with a scowl. "Before that, however, I must ask you, Anderson. How much do you know about the group called the Brotherhood of a Thousand Nights?"

"The Hyakuya Sect?" Alexander growled. "I've heard of their ilk, and I've slaughtered their numbers like the heathens and heretics they are. They are not fit to be called sons of god!"

To say that the Kyakuya Sect disgusted him would be an understatement. Those Heathens deserved nothing short of the full Nine Level of Hell for what they had done. Not only did they experiment on children, but they do so in order to break many taboos, even the most crucial one of all: resurrecting the dead. It happened in Japan, and God and his Angels brought forth their divine wrath for those Heathen's arrogance.

Furthermore, on his raids of the Sect's hideouts, he discovered more than what he imagined. He saw the experimented children the Sect had violated and warped beyond recognition. The moment he saw one of them still alive, one who was conscious and had lost his human form, the young child begged him to kill him. Just remembering it near brought a tear to his eye. Those Heathens commit treasonous acts against God and his messengers. To think the Hyakuya Sect was actually trying to summon the Seraphs of the End.

Their deaths had not been swift, nor painless. He made sure those bastards felt every last inch of what they deserved, yet Alexander still felt that they did not feel enough pain. He didn't even allow them to plead for forgiveness, having cut out their tongues and sliced apart their mouths before he delivered the most brutal punishment he could think of.

"Indeed, they do not." Renaldo nodded strongly. "The Hyakuya Sect had a base stationed in Japan. We believe that they were among the primary cause behind the taboo being broken, and why Japan now rests in silence."

"And just the other day, we received some startling information." Maxwell continued with a scowl. "The children who were under their control were taken by the vampires, following their takeover of Japan. As you can already guess, a few of them were confirmed to have the seraph gene."

Alexander felt his blood turn cold. "You mean to tell me that those filthy monsters are using His messengers as _blood bags_?!" It was bad enough that children were being experimented on to turn them from humans to Seraphs, but to stoop so low as to use them as livestock?!

He was very close to just barging out of the room, hop on a private jet to Japan, and slaughter all of those heretics and monsters.

"I'm afraid so..." Renaldo confirmed with contempt. "Which brings us to the main point: the child that was sired by the Hellsing family's vampire, Alucard." He lowered his head, revealing weary, yet burning eyes of fire. "The child was one of the Hyakuya Sect's. A boy with the seraph gene."

In the next moment, Alexander leaped up from his chair, slamming his hands down on the table with so much force that it trembled and threatened to snap beneath the pressure. "WHAT?!"

He had every right to be angry. The Hellsing Organization's dog...that monster Alucard, made a child, who was also one of God's messengers, into a creature of the night?! He made him into his fledgling?! A _vampire?! A **monster**?!_

"I'm afraid so..."

"Now you see why I desire nothing more than to burn that accursed Organization to the ground for its sins, Father?" Maxwell questioned with a fierce expression. "They spit in the face of God and mock are no better than the Brotherhood of a Thousand Nights! We should kill every last one of them!"

"Even if means bringing down the wrath of Queen and country?" Renaldo retorted, not budging an inch. "Do you not think that I am as angry as the rest of you? But no matter how much we wish to serve retribution, there are more pressing matters at hand." He produced a folder from his person, setting it down on the table. "We've recently learned that a large scale of vampires have begun acting out in the open out on the outskirts of Ireland's port towns. Countless men and women were slaughtered. Any children that were at the scene were also taken."

Maxwell looked stunned, staring at Renaldo as if he were mad. "You want us to focus on a group of vagabond vampires, instead of the fact that an Angel has become a Vampire?! Have you lost your mind?!"

"I understand your rage, Father Maxwell. Believe me, I do. However, there are still other matters that the Iscariot must take care of. Especially when the Brotherhood of a Thousand Nights are involved with these string of incidents."

Alexander's previous anger was quelled, but not by much. He would definitely demand further answers from his superior, but for the time being, he would alleviate himself of some of this anger by splattering the guts and disgusting remains of the heretics all across the grounds upon which they stood! "When do we leave?"

"Effective immediately."

"Excellent."

The Monster of God stood from his seat and grabbed the file before he made his way out of the room. Yumiko and Heinkel were wise enough to leave before the two men engaged in a shouting match, quickly following after Anderson. This left the two men alone in the room. One of them seething, while the other remained solemn. As the door was shut, they could actually hear Maxwell's indignant cries from within the room.

They soon caught up with the priest who was reading the report in hand.

"I can already feel the headache coming." Heinkel remarked dryly. "That said, for once, I have to agree with Father Maxwell. The Hellsing bastards turned an Angel into a vampire. An _Angel_! Why aren't we allowed to go in and slaughter them?!"

"You heard Father Renaldo." Yumiko reminded. "We have to deal with these heathens who are defiling children and the Angels in the first place! If we leave them alone, then it won't just be Japan who breaks the Taboo."

"Agreed." Alexander said with clenched teeth. "We can hate the Hellsing as much as we want and plot to slaughter them later. For now, let's deal with the heretics who dare to torment innocent souls and taint those in God's domain. And while we're at it, let me ask you two of you something."

His voice hardened, almost coming out like a growl as a glare became reflected in his glasses. "Who are we?"

 _"We are soldiers of Iscariot. We are Judas Iscariot!"_

"And what is there, in your right hand?"

 _"Daggers and poison!"_

"Well then, my soldiers of Iscariot, I ask you, what do you hold in your left hand?"

 _"Thirty pieces of silver and a straw rope!"_

Slowly, a fanged grin spread across his face. " _ **Amen**_!"

* * *

 _'Bullets move so slowly...'_ Yuuichiro thought as he weaved through the hailstorm of bullets, sword in hand while charging at the vampire in front of him. It was terrified out of its mind, after watching Alucard pull himself back together. Twice now he's done that. The human-turned vampire was convinced that the bastard was doing it on purpose, scaring them out of their wits and then slaughtering them like pigs. _'I wonder of Skals can see bullets like this?'_

If they did, then the smiling bastard did it on purpose. Letting him get shot in the head.

With a leap, Yuu hit the roof of the hallway, proceeding to bounce off it and land himself on top of the vampire. Before it could attempt to get up, Yuu brought up his sword and slammed it straight into its head, piercing its brain. A few seconds later, the vampire was reduced to dust.

 _'It's strange though...'_ Yuu thought. _'Walter told me that when these vampires died, they shouldn't burst into flames. Why is that?'_

"Nicely done." Alucard praised. "You're still rough around the edges, however."

The boy groaned as he got up, sheathing his sword. "Oh, get off my back already, Boss!" he said, dusting off his knees. "I already killed the sucker, didn't I? And while we're at it, why do they keep turning to dust? Is that just a Nosferatu thing, or...?"

"No, it isn't. Skals are simply reduced to dust. Nosferatu return to what they are naturally: lumps of dead meat that stay on the ground."

"So then these are Skals? I thought these were Nosferatu we were hunting."

"They are. Which makes this most unusual."

Alucard bent down to his knee, examining the dust. Putting a hand to the dust, he felt his existence ripple, spreading out across the ashes. Then his eyes narrowed, pushing his hand through the ashes and pulling out something from the pile. "What's that?" Yuu asked, leaning forward. Alucard held it up for him to see.

Yuuichiro blinked. "...a chip?"

* * *

The Round Table Conference. The heart and blood of England's protectors, and of the Hellsing Organization and those who stood by its side. At the head of the table sat Integra Fairbrooke Windgates Hellsing. Among others were Sir Islands and Sir Penwood, who had joined their ranks since Arthur Hellsing led the organization. More recent members included Rob Walsh, the commander of the British Royal Army. While he joined early in Integra's command, he was still a valued member of the Round Table Conference.

These meetings were only called into action when new light was shed on important cases, or when there was a dire situation that needed to be discussed. The meeting taking place was among the latter, as evident by the sullen and serious look on Integra's face. At her side, Walter stood straight as an arrow, his expression not betraying his current feelings of anxiety and dread.

"We'll call this meeting into order, then." Sir Islands began. He was an older gentleman, already on the cusp of meeting his father and ancestors in the afterlife, with frosty white hair and wrinkles all across his face. "Sir Integra. In your more recent investigation, following the elimination of the vampire that attempted to seek asylum in Japan, you reported to us here that you discovered something rather frightening."

"Indeed, we have." Integra said, voice thick. She gestured at Walter, who bowed his head and distributed several reports and photographs to those present. "You need only look at the photographs, gentlemen. A picture speaks more than a thousand words."

Penwood looked at the photograph in his hands. His face soon lost all color as his eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets. "Oh, dear god..."

Containers. Pristine white containers, loaded into the truck in the same site in which Yuuichiro's maiden battle took place. And inside each container was a person, sleeping soundly inside. They all appeared to be of young age as well, somewhere between early twenties to mid thirties, primarily Caucasian or Asian.

"Human trafficking?" Walsh asked with a grimace. "Run by vampires?"

Integra snorted. "That would be the preferrable alternative, Sir Walsh." she said as she narrowed her eyes. "No. Inside each and every one of those caskets was a _vampire_."

"Vampire?!" Penwood cried in fear. "You mean- All of these people?!"

Islands' frown deepened, his eyes well hidden beneath his spectacles. "I take it you confirmed this, Sir Integra?"

"We have, Sir Islands." Walter nodded, answering in her place. "The vampires inside those containers appeared to be in some sort of stasis. Nearly cryogenic, if I might add. But that is merely the tip of the iceberg, sir. Thorough investigation, as you can see in the reports you hold in your hands, revealed that each cargo carrier was tasked with delivering these a specific set of coordinates. We are currently in the midst of investigating these coordinates, and have even asked cooperation from the Royal Secret Intelligence in regards to this matter. However..."

"These were not the first transports, gentlemen." Integra finished grimly. "Someone has been smuggling vampires out of Britain. By the _hundreds_."

The room grew eerily silent as the implications set in.

Vampires...smuggled out of Britain? Just how was this possible? What sort of group possessed the manpower and resources to conduct such a thing, right under their noses to boot?!

"...how many convoys were confirmed leaving, prior to your discovery?" Sir Islands broke the silence.

"Unknown." she answered. "Even stranger still, however, was what we found inside the vampires." Walter placed something he had been holding in his hands into Integra's, holding it up for the whole room to see. "These chips were all found inside the necks of all the vampires that we discovered inside the containers. The purpose behind these chips are unknown, though we're leaving that to Section Three of the Secret British Intelligence for that matter."

Walsh smiled wryly. "The only thing those idiots are good for." he chuckled with some humor. He found all this tension to be unwelcome. "But why were these chips implanted into the vampires? Any theories, or possible ideas?"

"Just one." Integra answered. "Aside from the absurd number of vampires counted inside the containers, there was also another disturbing factor: none of them had any sort of bitemark on their jugular vein." This earned confused looks from the younger members of the Round Table Conference. Walsh, Islands and Penwood, however, realized the implications immediately. "For those who joined us late in the Round Table Conference, I'll explain. A Ghoul, as you all know, is created when a vampire drains the blood of a deflowered human. However, if that vampire is to drink the blood of a virgin of the opposite sex. In either case, however, there will always be evidence that a vampire has sucked their blood and turned them into something else. Two puncture holes, directly in their jugular vein. There is no exception to this rule."

"And there were no such wounds found on the necks of these sleeping vampires..." Penwood gasped, clutching his chest as he sunk in his chair. "B-but wouldn't that mean...?"

"Our current hypothesis, is that the chips turn ordinary humans into vampires."

"Egad!" Islands exclaimed. "So you're inferring that someone is manufacturing these chips to create _artificial_ vampires?"

"That is our current hypothesis until proven otherwise. Until we have more information of what these chips actually do, we will refrain from further judgments. Please note that I will be conducting a thorough investigation into the matter."

"But if what you propose is true...then someone intends to be constructing a vampire army..."

"Either that, or a large scale invasion of the likes of which never seen before." Walsh scowled. "Are those Skals trying to conquer another country, after taking Japan?"

Penwood cut in shortly, with some hesitance. "T-that could be the case, but that was only made possible because of the broken t-taboo! We haven't broken such sacred laws!"

"Whatever the case is, it still doesn't change the fact that someone is sending out vampires all across the continent." Integre reminded. Her eyes were cold, and promised untold pain to whoever dared attempt such ludicrous actions. "And when we find those responsible, we will show them what happens when they mess with the Crown and the country."

* * *

Word had quickly spread among the Progenitors about Krul's actions behind the backs of the Progenitor Council. She was allowed only a temporary rule that would last a meager day before she was eventually forced to be sentenced to her punishment. Knowing her luck, however, the tiny girl guessed that it would boil down to one of two possible situations: either she would be strapped to a pillar and exposed to sunlight with her UV band removed from her person, or her heart torn out of her chest. One or the other. Possibly both. Either way, she was prepared to face the consequences, though not without a contingency plan in mind. For the time being, however, she would accept this grace period for what it was worth and attend to the duties tasked of her.

But first things first, she needed to inform those under her care what was going to happen.

After a minute or so of navigating the confusing and stretching corridors of Sanguinem's inner palace, Krul entered a large room, obviously meant to be quarters for a high ranking Progenitor. It had taken some strings, but it was doable.

No sooner had she entered, however, did she suddenly find a bullet coming her way. She didn't even bat an eye as it came at her before she snatched it, all of which occurring within less than a second. She looked at the bullet in her hand before she looked at the one holding the smoking gun, and smiled thinly.

"If you're going to kill a vampire, especially one that's been alive for hundreds of years, I suggest you use more than something as mundane as a gun, little Mikaela."

The blonde, twelve year old boy glared at her, blue eyes filled with absolute loathing. He had every right to hate her for what she did to him and...

...she made them into one of _them_.

His skin was slightly pale, and his ears had developed a sharper shape, almost developing into pointed tips. At the corner of his lips, a tiny fang poked out, courtesy of his scowl. Before he could pull the trigger again, someone jumped into the fray, pulling the gun out of Mikaeal's hands. "That's enough, Mika!" It was a girl about a year younger than him with a petite figure and long, dark brown hair tied up in a braid that hung over her shoulder. Like him, she possessed similar pointed ears and exceedingly sharp canines. Her light brown eyes were filled with sorrow.

"Let him do what he wants, little Akane." Krul told the girl as she examined the bullet for a bit before tossing it over her shoulder. "It's only natural he despises me for what I've done to the both of you, even if it did save your lives. That being said, I am curious. When did have the time to steal my gun?"

"Does it matter?" Mika asked with hatred in his voice.

The pink haired girl snickered. "I suppose not." she said before she folded her arms. "Anyway, I didn't come here just to see how you two were doing and how well you're taking the situation now. I have some good news and bad news."

"What's the bad news?" Akane Hyakuya asked timidly. While she didn't exactly like Krul, she did feel indebted to her for giving her a second chance. Though they were now vampires, same as the ones who killed the little ones and took them away to be used as food, they were given a chance to see Yuu again.

"The Progenitor Council, that is to say the higher ups, knows I allowed you Seraphs to live." she told them simply, surprising them both. "Thankfully, as far as they know, Freed killed you all, but it won't be long before my replacement learns that I turned the two of you into my lovely subordinates. When that happens, he'll either order your execution, or you'll be experimented on. There only a meager handful of cases in which a Seraph has become a vampire, after all."

Mika scowled. "So, you're tossing us to the wolves now?" he asked. "After all the trouble of _saving_ us?" To say that Mikaela was bitter, would be an understatement. While he wanted to see Yuu again, he wanted to do so either with everyone else in whatever world that waited for them after death, or as a human being if he managed to survive his injuries. Becoming a vampire was not what he wanted, as it went against everything he believed in. He didn't know what the hell was he was supposed to do now. How would Yuu even react to this? Seeing them as the monsters he so vehemently hated.

"It isn't by choice. I had to tell them, because of recent circumstances that are beyond my control." Krul said, unfazed by his blatant anger and spite. She knew he would get over it, sooner or later. Either that, or he would direct it at the humans responsible for this situation in the first place. "Which leads to the goods news for you. Your friend, Yuuichiro, is still alive." Both children paused at this piece of information before relief and joy blossomed in their chests, Yuu was alive. He managed to escape! "Although...good is definitely a loose term I would call this situation..." She tilted her head. "Like you two, your friend was turned into a Vampire."

And their hopes were dashed. "What?!" Mikaela barked.

"Now now, don't look at me like that. If you must know, it wasn't one of the residents of Sanguinem that made him into one. It was...something else..."

"Something...else...?" Akane asked.

"Because I'm short on time as it is, I'll simplify things. We lied in telling you that humanity died off. In reality, only the adults in Japan were killed. The reason for this was because a human was foolish enough to break a sacred taboo: that is to say, bringing the dead back to life. Humanity still lives on, but we've taken control of Japan. Also, we're not the only kinds of bloodsuckers. Six hundred years ago, a new breed of vampire came into being: the Nosferatu."

"A-and it was a Nosferatu who turned Yuu-chan into a vampire?" Akane asked timidly.

Krul gave a sardonic smile. "The thing that turned him wasn't just a Nosferatu. Or a run of the mill vampire. We call him the No Life King, but when he was human, he was known to the world as Vlad the Impaler, the Prince of Wallachia."

"Wait...wasn't he that guy who was called Dracula or something?" Mika questioned.

"In a sense, you're right. But he goes by the name, Alucard. He also serves as the guard dog of the Hellsing Organization. They specialize in killing vampires. After all, who better to kill a vampire than with another vampire? Especially one as old and powerful as the No Life King?"

"But why do you call him that? Is he a vampire of higher rank than you? Second Progenitor? First Progenitor?"

"Rank? Don't be so foolish. That... _thing_ is so powerful that something like a rank can't even begin to classify his might. Besides, as I said, he's a Nosferatu, not a Skal. Such a concept is meaningless to them."

Especially when the concept of power had nothing to do with age for them. Several higher-ranking Progenitors were at least a thousand years old, if not more so, whereas the firstborn Nosferatu was only 6 centuries old. And yet, when he was born into the world, he had razed them to the ground. It also raised a terrifying possibility for the Skals in general: if a newborn Nosferatu was capable of such feats, what would future vampires of their kind be capable of?

"At any rate, I have a task for the both of you." Krul said, returning the conversation back to the main point. Mika looked ready to argue, but Akane held him back. Amused, she pulled out a slip of paper from her sleeve and gave it to the girl, figuring that the blonde boy would tear it apart if she gave it to him. "These have a set of coordinates. An ally of mine will be meeting you there. Use the subterrenean routes, and make sure no one sees you. Especially Ferid. Understand?"

"Y-Yes, Krul-san." Akane nodded timidly. "Who, are we meeting?"

At this, the vampire smiled slightly. "One of the humans who tortured you both, and one of those who wants to try and fix things. Even if they nothing more than idiots."

* * *

"...Yuuichiro. I understand your feelings in regards to the coffin, but I trust you realize you will have to sleep in it sometime in order to keep your strength up?"

Not long after they had returned, Yuu returned to his room, wanting to get some sleep since it was getting close to daytime and all. He still wasn't fully used to how things were going for his body right now, what with it being more tired in the daylight time than during nighttime. He had once again taken refuge at the corner of the room, only for Walter to walk inside with a concerned frown, though whether it was in regards to his fighting ability being hampered by his decision or by actual concern he wasn't sure.

"It'll be a cold day in hell before I sleep in a pine box." the boy snorted, folding his arms. "Even if I am a bloodsucker, there is no way in hell I am sleeping in that!"

"So you say, but sooner or later, you will have to." Walter said with a strange smile. "Either by your own volition...or Sir Integra orders Alucard to bind you inside it every night until you do so of your free will."

"What?!"

"It is the truth, under Sir Integra's orders, we can't have a Vampire who doesn't sleep in a coffin. So Sir Alucard will have to be forced to put you into yours since you still refuse to consume blood." Yuuichiro's scowl deepened, seething. Dammit all, how much further does he have to have some semblance to the bastards who took everything from him?! He was fine with his current situation, since it gave him the means to kill the sons of bitches, but if he was going to forced further as a vampire, he'd rather chop off his own head. This was humiliating, dammit! "Though I suppose I can understand your reluctance." Walter said later, a sad smile on his face as he walked over to the young man. "After all, you were only human a few weeks ago."

"I still feel human..." Yuu said, looking at his hands.

"That may be so, but your body composition has changed drastically. No longer a human, yet not quite a full vampire." He sat down next to the youth. "Only when you drink blood will you become a vampire, whether it be the blood of another vampire, or a human's blood."

"Wait, you mean I can drink the blood of vampires?" Yuu asked, blinking rapidly. He wasn't aware that vampires were also cannibals. "Isn't that, like cannibalism or something?"

"Oh, _hardly_. Vampires, especially Skals, have no sense of camaraderie with one another. The latter have a command structure that they are bound to follow, solely by respect of strength and ranking. Nosferatu are more human in this regard, finding aid with one another." the butler said with a chuckle. "For example, how you find aid in Alucard, even if you do resent the man. I couldn't tell you how many vampires have found their blood sucked dry at his hands, or found themselves staring down the barrel of his Cassul."

"It's still hard to believe..." Yuu murmured. "A vampire hunting other vampires. Never thought I'd see it happen until recently."

"Well, that is to be expected, given that the only vampires you have known were Skals. Now you are a fledgling of a Nosferatu. And just as hunts vampires so now are you."

"Still pretty confusing."

"You'll understand, in time. Though I am curious, what was Japan like? Before the vampires took over?"

Yuu shrugged. "Japan was...Japan, I guess. I never really got to see much of it. I always pretty much stayed in Shinjuku at the orphanage with Mika and everybody else. And after the adults died, Japan was unrecognizable to me after I got out of Sanguinem." At this, Yuu's face became one of sorrow. "You know... Every time I close my eyes, I can see it. That one moment."

Walter's eyes softened, placing a hand on his shoulder. He didn't have to guess what the boy was referring to. "Whatever may have happened, it was surely not your fault, Yuuichiro."

"But it was!" Yuu snapped angrily, his fingers digging into the skin of his palms. "Me, Akane and Mika were supposed to protect the kids! The little ones! They were...! They were..."

"That is enough." Walter said firmly, with a firm grip on his shoulder. "From what Sir Alucard informed me, you all chose to escape. No one could fault you for being ambushed. You couldn't have possibly known. While it may be true that lives were lost, remember that you are still children. You couldn't have handled that Skal since you lacked blessed weaponry. What's more, your friends made the decision to at least ensure that you make it out alive. They wanted you to live, Yuuichiro." Yuu looked up at Walter, eyes wide. "If there is one thing I know with certainty... It is that there is nothing a family wouldn't do for their loved one."

"But...why me..? Why was I left alone?"

"That, I cannot answer, Yuuichiro. However, please remember this." The butler's expression softened. "While it is true that it was a tragic event, the past is the past. No matter how much we wish, it cannot change. All we can do, is focus on the present and look towards the future."

"...did you ever have to go through something like that, Walter?"

"Many times...but I have accepted them for that they were and moved on. I will be honest. It does not get any easier. But they heal with time. But only if you let them heal."

"Only if I let them?"

"Yes. While time is said to heal all wounds, that is only if the person lets it heal instead of dwelling on their issues and remained hung up over them. Only when they accepted them for what they are and move on, can the scars on the heart fade."

Yuu looked at Walter, and then back at his hands. The old man made it sound like it was so easy. That it could easily be accomplished. But was it really as simple as that?

 _'Mika, Akane, everyone...'_ Yuu thought with sorrow. _'What should I do...?'_

* * *

 _"Our father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name..."_

Silver gleamed and danced in the air as blood began to spill like rain. Bodies of sin fell to the floor, husks that deserved to be burned and tormented. In the center of it all was the holy messenger of god, blades in hand as he approached, calmly and with a twisted smile for each sin removed, uncaring of the opposition he faced.

 _"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done..."_

He threw a pair of his blades and they struck true. One stabbed through the bloodsucker's skull, the other through its heart. He rushed up, grabbed the handles, and tore the carcass to pieces.

 _"On Earth as it is in Heaven..."_

Two Ghouls tried to rush him from behind, but they were swiftly put down, courtesy of the blessed bullets tearing through their heads and blowing them to bits.

 _"Give us this day, our daily bread..."_

From behind, Heinkel kept a steady hand, body flowing at different angles as she sent more and more of the devils back where they belong. Three Ghouls rushed up from behind her, but she shot them down without looking. Taking the moment to change clips, she kicked a vampire away in the face, sliding the new clips into her pistols before filling him with holes.

 _"And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us..."_

Not far away, Yumiko was slicing apart men and vampire alike, her sword opening their bellies and spilling their rotten guts to the floor. A man garbed in white tried to cut her down with a jet black ax with a crimson edge, a black vapor flowing from its swing. Leaning back, Yumiko let it fly over her body, missing her entirely before she spun around on her heel, then again before separating the man from his legs. His two halves fell to the floor, soon joining the rest of his miserable comrades as she went back to work, slashing through them like a woman possessed, splattering the room red with their blood.

 _"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil..."_

56m agoThe final Vampire stood his ground. He gripped the wicked blade in his hands and charged with the intent to kill at Anderson. However, the Monster of God quickly spun and threw one of his bayonets at the hell spawn's head, straight through the brain. The base of the handle of the thrown weapon opened up as smoke billowed out. In the next second, the blade exploded and took the head clean off its shoulders.

 _"Amen..."_

"Amen!"

And with the prayer finished, silence came to the facility.

With the fighting over and done with, Alexander took the opportunity to look around properly, only to scowl in disgust. The floor was littered with the corpses of the heathens and heretics who dared to meddle in God's domain, and their blood sprayed across the walls like coats of paint. There were consoles scattered across the room, though they had been destroyed with extreme prejudice, with bayonets and bullets having destroyed them and rendering them utterly inoperable for the foreseeable future.

The facility was dimly lit, only powered by low green lighting from beneath the floor. In rows, there were tanks filled with murky blue liquid. Inside those tanks were vague shapes, small and thin with barely discernable features. Walking up to one of them, Alexander pressed a hand against one of the tanks, finding it cool to the touch while his eyes narrowed, staring past through the muck. Seeing what was inside the tank, his anger flared. "Filthy heathens. Even the vampires have more humanity than them." he remarked before turning to Yumiko and Heinkel. "Check to see if there's a release mechanism for these containers."

"Yes, sir."

"And if one of them asks you to kill them..." Alexander continued, his voice shaky. "Please grant their request. Ease their pain, and return them to the Lord, where they may find peace in the afterlife."

"Yes, sir." Both women replied, their tone solemn. As they searched for the release switch, Alexander reverted his focus to the tank. Or rather, who was inside it.

It was a little boy, who didn't seem any older than eight years. His eyes were closed as if he were sleeping peacefully within the murk.

Yet his twisted form told another story. His limbs resembled more like feathered branches than arms or legs. He even appeared to have been missing a leg, whereas a malformed wing took its place. Only half of his face was visible to discern who he was while the other half was distorted by some form of black growths. There were even instances where there were gaps in his skin, revealing the muscle and bone beneath.

Slowly, Alexander withdrew two of his bayonets. As he did so, however, a weak voice called out from inside the tank. "...who's there...?" The voice was weak and raspy, hoarse even as if it hurt to speak. "Are you...one of the people...who hurt us...?"

"No, child." Alexander told him with watery eyes. "I am but a humble servant of the Lord. A mere priest, meant to guide souls to His embrace."

"A...priest...?" The youth questioned, breathing through the respirator mask on his face. "...sorry...its...too late..."

"I am sorry, my child. If only I had come for you and the others sooner. Instead, you had to suffer by the hand of those heathens. Rest at ease...for they shall no longer harm you ever again."

"Th-thank you..." The child sobbed, a grateful tear escaping his sole functioning eye. "Please...I...I don't want to feel pain anymore..."

A tear fell streaked down his rugged face, preparing his bayonet's with as steady a hand as possible. With a grave voice, as if speaking at a funeral, Alexander spoke a verse in the hopes the child would feel at ease.

 _"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Amen..."_

With a sigh of relief, freed from his pain, the child smiled beneath the mask and whispered, "Amen..."

A second later, Alexander swung his bayonets. Glass shattered and water spilled across the floor, mixed together with blue and red while feathers danced in the air...

* * *

With a strangled yell, Yuuichiro found himself bolting up from his sleep, face covered in sweat as he looked around in panic, sword drawn. His eyes quickly scanned the room, only to find nothing. Simply darkness. As the adrenaline died down, Yuu took deep breaths and sheathed his blade. He didn't know why he suddenly sprang up like that. He felt that he was in danger, and reacted accordingly.

Putting a palm to his face and falling back down to the floor, he tried to calm his breathing. Inside his own shadow, Asuramaru poked his head out, a frown present on his face. "Oi oi, what's with the screaming?" he asked. "I'm trying to get some sleep here, brat."

"I-it's nothing, Asuramaru..." Yuu told him, slightly out of breath. "Nothing... N-nothing at all."

The demon raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't sound like nothing to me. Bad dream or something?"

"I...I don't know." He shook his head. "If it was...I can't remember anymore..."

The former vampire stared at his master scrutingly. There was obviously something wrong with him. Earlier, he felt his dormant part stirring, as if reacting to something. If he had to make a wager, it was probably because an angel somewhere was reacting to him as well for whatever reason. The boy was obviously unaware that he possessed another inhuman aspect of him, but unless he asked, Asuramaru's lips were sealed. Besides, someone was bound to tell him, sooner or later. Like the boy's own master, or the No Life King's owner.

With a shrug, Asuramaru fell back into Yuuichiro's shadow, returning back to his peaceful slumber. The fledgling in question remained awake a moment longer, trying to process what happened. Why did he suddenly wake up like that? He felt like something pulled him from his sleep and into a panic. Yet there was nothing to warrant danger. He lied back down into his open coffin and closed his eyes. Walter had finally convinced him to sleep in it. And it was surprisingly comfortable. Even more so than his bed.

He tried to lull away to sleep, yet there was a faint feeling in the back of his mind. He ignored it and fell unconscious. With his body curled up and clutching his sword close, he looked rather peaceful. Cute, even, to the average observer. Unknown to him, however, a pair of red eyes was watching him carefully in the darkness, hovering over him like a guard or sentinel, prepared to strike at a moment's notice. Yet the young vampire didn't notice it.

If he had, he would have questioned why Alucard's familiar was in his room and on the ceiling.

* * *

"I'm rather impressed, Walter." Alucard said with a toothy grin as he sat in the chair opposite to Integra's, looking at the butler with a newfound sense of respect. "It seems you know your way around children, be them undead or otherwise."

The old man looked rather sheepish, as he instead waved a hand in dismissal. "He simply reminds me of my younger days, back when I first became known as the Angel of Death way back when. Impulsive and rash, yet burdened deeply by the sorrows that shaped his life. I merely guided him in the right direction is all." Without pausing, he continued his motions and poured Integra a warm cup of tea, who accepted it gratefully with a nod of the head. "I still feel sorry for the poor lad. Losing his family like that, it's done a number on his psyche."

"Will it hamper him?" Integra asked.

Walter shook his head. "Yes and no. On the one hand, I doubt he will get much sleep or peace of mind. But on the other hand, their deaths are what drives him to fight against the vampires."

The woman paused, letting it sink for a moment. While she did feel pity for the poor child, she had a task to perform. A task that requested-no, demanded that she put all other aspects of her life on hold and act accordingly to the present situation at hand. Thus, as much as she wanted to care for the poor boy, vampiric nature aside, she was more concerned with his fighting capability at the moment than his mental state. So long as he had the drive and nature to fight, that was all that mattered. Besides, there would be time to give the boy some attention at a later date.

"Speaking of the boy, regarding that order I gave you..."

Walter chuckled, rubbing his chin. "Accuracy with a firearm, I'm afraid, is not the poor boy's strong suit." he said with some humor. "He's a poor shot, though I believe that is because he prefers to fight up close and personal. I believe a close quarters weapon with a relatively short range, will suffice. I will start his shotgun training as early as tomorrow, if you'd like."

"Very well. And what about the remains of the Cursed Gear?"

"It is still a work in progress. While I have collected all of the remains of the sword, reconstructing them to its original state without Asuramaru present within has been a tricky manner. The Cursed Gears utilize their powers from the Demons sealed within. Since Asuramaru is now a familiar housed within Yuuichiro, the core of the weapon, it's very essence, is gone. While I most certainly recreate into a weapon, whatever supernatural abilities it may have possessed are out of my reach of replicating for now."

"That is to be expected, however." Alucard put his two cents. "These Cursed Gears were sacred items, designed specifically to seal away a demon's power and then integrate it into itself. Now that it's fulfilled its purpose, and its core is no longer present, it's little more than a trinket." A smile stretched across his face as he crossed his legs. "However, that doesn't mean the pieces can't be put to good use. Can we expect another Dornez original?"

The old man laughed heartedly as he sweeped into a bow. "But of course, Alucard! I make only the best weapons for our resident vampire hunters. It will be tricky, but I believe I can make a weapon on par with the Cassul."

"Moving away from the topic of weapons..." Integra adjusted her glasses, turning to the vampire who had served her family faithfully for these past few centuries, and her savior the day she became the head of the Hellsing Organization. "Alucard. You've fought the Skals before, and you know the most. What can you tell us about them?"

The black-haired man's smile dimmed somewhat. "For starters, they are the oldest vampires in existence." he said, folding his hands into a ball. "Older than even myself. You could say that they are the firstborn vampires. Nosferatu came into existence after I was born into the world as a newly made undead six hundred years ago. I know only little about them, other than that they follow a hierarcy of sorts. The higher-ups of their group are known as Progenitors. The ruling body is known as the Progenitor Council, which is exclusive only to Sixth Progenitors and higher. These Skals are also in charge of certain regions, such as Japan, which is their first major stronghold since the Crusades."

"Vampires, even older than you?" Walter asked, incredulous. "Then, are they as powerful as you are, if not stronger?"

It was a worrisome thought to the humans present in the room, but to Alucard, the man took it as the funniest thing he heard in decades, barking with laughter. "At best, the only thing they have going for them are their fancy toys and the technology that allows them to walk among the living in broad daylight. Aside from that, and their base capabilities, they are helpless and weak. Even when I was reborn as a Nosferatu, I was easily capable of killing off several thousands of them. If there is a threat among them, it is perhaps the First Progenitor. To put into perspective, from what I've learned first-hand, they are the same as me: a True Vampire. A firstborn."

"And have you met this First Progenitor at any point during your 600 years of life?"

"Unfortunately, no." The No Life King shook his head. "As far as I am aware, he was not around even ap during my rebirth. While I know for a fact he exists due to the other Progenitors, no other Skal has seen him for several centuries."

"How odd." Walter remarked, puzzled. "Has he, perhaps, died and is remembered as a martyr figure?"

"No, not to my knowledge. At best, he's probably suffered the same fate as that demon Asuramaru: a Skal who's had its heart ripped from its chest and made into a demon, and then locked away inside a Cursed Gear, meant to be used as a tool for the humans."

"At the very least, however, we won't have to worry about this Progenitor making an appearance anytime soon." Integra said, inhaling a deep whiff of her cigar before exhaling the stuff. "I also want your opinion on something, Alucard. About the boy. Does he know?"

Alucard waved a hand. "No, he doesn't. The Hyakuya Sect erased his memories with each experimentation, but if I were to make a wager, I'd say it's only a matter of time before his newfound nature brings those memories to the surface. As for his angelic nature, it's been heavily subdued. At best, it will only surface when he calls on its power himself, or when his life is threatened to be extinguished. The Seraph of the End's very existence won't allow its mortal vessel to die, not unless it comes at the hands of another Seraph, or they choose to end their own lives."

"I see." Integra nodded in thought. "Is there any possibility that he will be able to draw on the Seraph's power more easily during training, or subconsciously call upon it?"

"Theoretically, it might. However, even I think it's too dangerous. Calling upon the power of a Seraph is equivalent of heralding the end of the world. A Seraph's power is not to be taken lightly. Why do you think they are called the Harbingers of the End? And do not forget that one of the sacred taboos was broken, Master. Even though we were not the ones who broke it, the Seraphs will still regard humanity with hostility."

"Very well then." Integra conceded. While possessing the power of a Seraph seemed tempting, the risks were far too great. "At the very least, it's good to know he won't be too dangerous. So long as he is not pushed past the brink."

"Should we, perhaps, inform him about the Hyakuya Sect?" Walter asked. "While there is some truth to the saying, ignorance is bliss, if what Alucard says is true, then the memories of those trying times will return to him. And based on what he's told me of his perceptions about the orphanage... It will not be a pleasant experience for him."

Integra mulled this over for a while before she nodded. "Very well...but only inform him when he's recovered some of those memories. Or if he's showing signs of remembering. I'll entrust his welfare to you, Walter."

"Thank you, Sir Integra."

"From merciless kill to a surrogate parent." Alucard mused. "Quite the change in career for you, eh Walter?"

"Indeed. Time certainly changes people for better or worse, I suppose." Walter shrugged. "Besides, it isn't a bad job. I'm much too old to have children of my own these days, and even if someone were to tell me I could become younger, I'd tell them I'd want no part of it. I'd like nothing more than to die of old age, surrounded by my loved ones."

"Well said, Walter." Alucard smiled before standing from his seat. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to grab Baskerville from the kid's room. He has been keeping watch over him."

The woman snorted, grinning. "Now who's the doting parent?"

* * *

If you had survived the fall of Japan, lived in one of the few remaining cities that still thrived with activity, however dismal, and asked about the Japanese Imperial Demon Army, all anyone would do was point to the cities of Shibuya. Unlike the rest of the country, which had long since fallen and become dilapidated and ruined, the city had become one of the few last bastions of humanity, and the hope that one day, the vampires would be driven out of their homeland and they would reclaim their country.

But if you were to ask the vampires, they would spin another story. That the Japanese Imperial Demon Army were fools, dangerous ones who were the cause behind the taboo being broken and Japan becoming the desolate place it was now. In their eyes, they were saving the humans from their own folly, and wanted to kill the dangerous fools who dared step into realms they had no place of entering.

A sentiment very much shared by Lieutenant Colonel Guren Ichinose, who looked at the city of Shibuya from up high from behind the windows of a towering skyscraper, having just returned from a meeting with the other squad leaders of the JIDA, making their scheduled reports.

Every time he gazed out at the desolation, he felt a pang of regret and guilt. Why wouldn't he, for he was the one who broke the taboo and incurred heaven's wrath But it was a sin he was willing to bear upon his shoulders...for the opportunity to see his closest friends alive and well once more. It was his sin to bear, and his alone to atone for.

As he looked onward, past the horizon and to the world that lay past the oceans, he couldn't help but wonder if there were other survivors. Like those in Japan, trying hopelessly to survive. When the thought came to him, he could only sigh as he ran a gloved hand through his hair. "Sounds like somebody's tired." a chipper, female voice called out from behind Guren. He looked over his shoulder, finding a girl with pink hair wearing the standard uniform behind him, armed with a grin. "Did the meeting go that badly?"

"What do you think, Shinoa?" he lied, just as he always had, with a small grin. "In all honesty, I wonder why we even bother with these reports. It's always the same thing, day in and day out: we lost an outpost. We reclaimed an outpost. We lost this many men. We killed this many vampires. It gets boring after a while."

"Good thing I'm not a squad leader, then~"

"Keep it up, and you just might be, Shinoa." Guren told her as he walked away, the girl following behind him. "Though there was something that did have me interested. A few weeks ago, there was a report of a stranger dressed in Western clothing walking about the Shinjuku region."

"Oh, that story?" Shinoa Hiiragi scoffed. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't the people on duty there drunk off their ass?"

"Well, maybe. But there was at least one person there sober. So the report must have some merit." Guren shrugged. "It makes you wonder though. Who was that guy and why was he walking around this desolate wasteland of a city?"

"Who knows?" The girl shrugged in kind. "Besides, for all we know, it could have been a vampire from another country, assuming they've set up bases outside of Japan. We haven't even managed to establish contact yet with any other world organization since the Apocalypse Virus hit."

Guren hid the pain behind his smile quite well. That was what they called it, didn't they? The results of his actions for being so weak. "Maybe." he conceded. "It is worth a look, though. That being said, I doubt we'll find anything. It was only a few weeks ago, and most of our resources are being diverted to the Osaka and Kyoto fronts."

"I take it those were the highlights of the meeting?"

"Pretty much. Same standard statistics and reports about resources, manpower, outposts, the works. All sorts of things that would seem boring to a kid like you."

The two stopped in front of an elevator, to which Guren pressed the button to call for. "And speaking about the Osaka front, you're being deployed there in the next month, aren't you?"

"Yep. Under Kureto's command, unfortunately."

"I see. I'm sorry to hear that. You're a twelve-year old girl and you're already being deployed to the front lines."

"Technically, I just turned thirteen last week. So I'm not actually a kid anymore."

Guren snorted. "You're an adult when you turn 18, brat. That, and unless you went and had sex, which I'm hoping to Kami you didn't, you are still are a maiden...however wrong that is."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Shinoa demanded.

She had no idea that such words didn't actually come from Guren himself. Rather, they came from another aspect, due to his own nature. One of which he found himself exasperated with. _'Was that really necessary, Mahiru?'_

 ** _'Oh, but of course~_** ' a feminine voice called back from the recesses of his mind. ** _'Shinoa may like to tease, but when it comes to the teasing, I am an expert.'_**

 _'Yeah, well, keep it down to a minimum. She expects this behavior from you, not the guy who she works under.'_

 _ **'Fine, fine~'** She conceded. **'It's been so long since I saw her that I just couldn't resist.'**_

 _'You saw her just yesterday through me.'_ He mentally deadpanned.

 _ **'Well, I just can't resist the opportunity to tease her. Besides, she doesn't seem to notice anything.'**_

 _'She will if you keep this up.'_

A ding brought the conversation to an end. Before Guren could enter once the doors slid open, Shinoa dived inside with a "Yoink!" and already hit the button once inside, much to his exasperation. As the doors slid shut, she pulled down her eyelid and stuck out a tongue before she vanished from view.

"...I have no idea why either of us puts up with her." Guren remarked with a grimace, dragging his hand down his face as he shook his head before he decided to take the long way home and went for the stairs, believing it would be less tiresome to wait for the elevator to arrive again or find another one. There was also another reason, of course: less prying ears to hear a conversation that needed no eavesdroppers. "The appearance of that red Western man...it can't be a coincidence that him being in Shinjuku coincides with the failure of your prophecy, Mahiru."

 ** _'So it seems.'_** Mahiru hummed, not bothered in the least. _**'In truth, I can think of a few things. Either A) the poor child was killed by Ferid or B) Krul made them into a vampire. In either case, this puts a severe strain on our plans.'**_

"While I agree either one may be true, the appearance of this stranger is concerning." Guren replied. "Another possibility was that the child found a different way out, or escaped far earlier or later than our arrival. In either case, I'll investigate the matter on my own discretion, even if the trail has gone cold."

 _ **'Got it. Just make sure to be discrete on the matter. If anyone from my family learns of this, they'll no doubt kill you. Well, aside from Shinya and Shinoa of course. How is your little stalker doing anyway?'**_

"He's still alive and kicking." Guren replied, ignoring the 'stalker' was due to his friend's eccentricity.

 _ **'But for how much longer, I wonder? It's been about...four years since you broke the taboo to revive him and the others, right?'**_

Reaching the next descent of stairs, Guren glanced at his surroundings, noting that no one was present on the floor before continuing down. "I'm aware of the time limit, Mahiru." he rolled his eyes. "I'll find a solution before that happens. There's no need to remind me."

 _ **'Alright, alright. I'll get off your back.'** _Mahru giggled. Guren had just reached the next flight of stairs when he felt the cellphone in his pants pocket go off. Taking it out, he looked at the message, earning piqued interest from his resident demon. _**'A message from deary Krul? How interesting. What could possibly warrant...a...oh dear.'**_

Guren stared at the message before he grimaced and sighed again, suddenly wishing that he had been born in another country so that he wouldn't have to deal with this crap. "Troublesome hag..."

* * *

It was midday when Yuuichiro had been requested to continue his firearms training, in spite of the fact that everyone in the organization was painfully aware of how much he royally sucked. Currently, he was already in the training room, staring at the weapon in his hands before he looked up at the smiling Walter, and then back at the weapon. Then back at Walter, and promptly deadpanned.

"...okay. I'll bite. The heck is this?"

"That, Yuuichiro, is a pump-action 12-gauge shotgun." Walter explained. "To be more exact, the Mossberg Maverick 88. While it boasts a modest firing range of up to around 20 to 40 yards, it is best utilized at close-range. Personally speaking, it works wonders at point blank, assuming you can get that far."

"Seriously? I fight with a katana, Walter. Of course I can." Yuuichiro scoffed.

"Excellent. Now, let us begin the tests." He then gestured to the mannequins across the room, each one armed with a gun. "I have assembled a variety of targets. Ones that will shoot back. Your assignment is to get in close and blow them apart with the shotgun. And with these this type of firearm, you don't need to worry about accuracy, as the buckshot will act as a widespread projectile to cover more surface area."

The boy tilted his head. "Sounds easy enough."

At this, Walter smirked deviously. "On the contrary...the mannequins won't be the only ones trying to take you down. Though as this is a training exercise, you can rest assured that all guns, sans your own, are equipped with rubber bullets. Well, rubber bullets laced in holy water, at any rate." As much as it pained him to admit it, he found some joy in Yuuichiro's shocked expression. "Come now, boy. There must be some sense of realism."

"Are you serious?! Walter, do you know how much it hurts just by getting shot with normal bullets?!" the fledgling asked, incredulous. "Boss already told me what happens if I get hit with something holy enchanted! It'll hurt like hell!"

"Hence the point of the realism. After all, you can't very well expect your opponents to be fighting without intending to kill you, now can you?" He had no retort to that and turned away with a pout. Walter chuckled. "Good. Your weapon is already loaded, but if you wish to fire another round, you'll have to pump the barrel. You can fire up to at least five shots. After that, you will need to reload. Do you remember how?"

Yuu rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mom. Can we just get this started?" Walter laughed at his enthusiasm as he nodded, stepping away from the boy and into the safe area. As the training area became green lit, preparing him for combat, the boy suddenly remembered Walter's earlier words about another threat that would be trying to hinder him. "Wait a second. What's the other obstacle?"

He soon found his answer when the buzzer sounded off. Rather than the mannequins shooting at him, Yuuichiro caught sight of a familiar red coat, just in time to hear a gunshot ring into the ear and strike him in the chest, throwing him to the ground and screaming. "SON OF A FUCKING BITCH THIS HURTS!"

"Language, Yuuichiro." Walter chided.

"SCREW YOU, WALTER!" he screamed back as he got up to his feet, glaring daggers at the grinning Alucard. "BOSS! WHAT THE HELL?!"

"What? When Walter informed me of your exercise, I simply couldn't resist and join you. Think of this as double training. You get to learn how to use that shotgun, and you get to work on evading my bullets as I shoot you. It's win-win for everybody."

"SCREW YOU, BOSS!" He ducked was another shot was fired at him. "YOU'RE ENJOYING THIS AREN'T YOU?!"

"I have no idea what you mean..." His grin remained.

"LIAR!"

* * *

Meanwhile, while she was in her office, Integra felt her eyebrow twitch.

"...Japanese men really have no manners or indoor voice, do they?"

* * *

Despite his insistances for this to stop or for Alucard to stop shooting so he could kick his ass, Yuu found himself running around like a chicken with its head cut off. As if adding insult to injury, when he came too close to the mannequins, they suddenly started to open fire on him, making him dodge not only bullets from Alucard, but also from the dummies he was supposed to be shooting.

It was getting really annoying. he couldn't get in close enough to blow those damn targets to pieces. And to top it all off, his boss wasn't letting up in the slightest!

Growling in aggravation, Yuu decided to take his chances. He got as close as he could to the nearest mannequin without setting off it defenses and pulled the trigger of his shotgun. He tried to take aim, but he soon found the gun knocked out of his hands, courtesy of a bullet shot by Alucard. "You'll have to be quicker than that, kid!" the No Life King taunted, firing more rounds at Yuuichiro, forcing him to quickly move back, diving behind a pillar. Unfortunately, it provided him no reprieve as Alucard's shadow moved in, taking on a bestial form with sharp fangs, diving straight towards the pillar and bringing its fangs down on it, destroying it and revealing Yuu back to the battlefield, once again under heavy fire. "What're you doing, hiding like a coward?! In fights like this, you have no options to retreat or hide! You must press onward, even if it means being shredded to pieces!"

 _'Easy for you to say!'_ Yuu cried indignantly. _'I can't pull myself back together after being pumped full of lead!'_

"Are you trying to make human excuses?! You're a vampire now kid! Are you going to let something as trivial as this stop you?!"

"HEY! KEEP OUT OF MY HEAD!" Yuu snapped angrily. _'But dammit, he's got a point! I can't just let this stop me! Even so, I really don't want to risk an injury. Isn't that one of the more major parts of battle or something, to minimize damages?'_ He glanced over at the spot where the shotgun rested. Taking a breath, he decided to go for broke and charged straight at it while avoiding gunfire from all three sources, pulling his body down into a slide and grabbing the shotgun as he passed it before bouncing off the ground and to the ceiling, digging his fingers and heel into it to provide support. _'Since Boss brought out his familiar, it's only fair I do it too, right?'_

Walter smiled thinly. "Now you're starting to understand..."

"C'mon out and play, Asuramaru!" Yuu roared as his shadow extended out from his back, bringing the demon out into full view, sharp claws and horns and all. "Keep the boss busy! And try not to die!"

"Don't tell me what to do, brat!" Asuramaru snapped before he complied with his orders. As much as he hated the kid telling him what to do, he didn't really have a choice in the matter. And not die, way to state the obvious. The former third progenitor shot off a volley of thorns at Alucard who quickly evaded them with ease. "Tch, making me fight the goddamn Impaler... He really does have a lot of nerve!"

However, the thought did bring a grin to his face. The very notion of this fight excited him. He could hardly contain his bloodlust. Alucard himself seemed quite interested, taking aim at Asuramaru as he dived straight at him, claws out while thorns curled behind him, ready to strike. "Let's see what a former Skal's capable of, shall we?!"

He pointed his gun and fired. While Alucard was distracted, Yuuichiro took this chance to attack the dummies.

Thanks to his already impressive speed, he was able to get close to one of them. Ramming his shotgun forward, he took aim and fired. In a spray of lead, the dummy's top half was torn off, and its gun discarded and thrown aside. He didn't take the chance to revel in his victory, however, was he soon found himself dodging another round of gunfire. Just when he thought he was out of range, however, he saw a familiar black shape come at him, teeth bared. "SHIT!" He leaped to the side, evading the Hellhound just barely as it bounced off the ground, skidding across the floor before turning its gaze to Yuuichiro. "Oh, god dammit! If it ain't boss, it's this oversized mutt! You people really love putting me through the grinder, don'tcha?!"

"It IS called training for a reason, Yuuichiro." Walter called out. "You need to be prepared for anything and everything in our line of work. A slight misstep would definitely be fatal."

Just as he was about to retort, the Baskerville charged at him again, releasing a howl. Meeting its charge, Yuuichiro slid beneath its belly, emerging from behind it. _'Just remember! You're supposed to destroy the targets! Then training's over and done with!'_

"But do you think it'll be so easy?!" Alucard called out as he leaped back, avoiding the thorns that came his way. Asuramaru came up from behind, going in for an attack that would rip the man's heart out, only to find Alucard vanishing in a flourish of red and a weight on the back of his head. Then he found himself tripping, falling to the ground, as Alucard had used him as a spring board, landing behind him. Taking the opportunity, Alucad returned his attention to his fledgling and fired a round at his knee, causing him to crumple to the floor with a yelp.

While he was fortunate that the rounds were rubber and not blessed ones, they were still coated in holy water, thus, still stung like a bitch. Just as he was about to get up, he heard a howl erupt from behind him. Instead of scrambling, Yuuichiro merely pushed on the ground, bouncing up and avoiding Baskerville coming at him with fangs bared. Rather than waste a shell trying to shoot the damn thing, Yuuichiro instead leaped off the ceiling and at the dummy, pumping the shotgun and taking a shot. When he pulled the trigger however, he found that he had missed and a sharp pain in his leg and yanked out of the air, courtesy of the Baskerville biting his leg and throwing him around like a rag doll before tossing him to the back of the room, where his back struck the wall.

"Guh...dammit!" he cursed. He was too slow! By the time he lined up his shot, Baskerville already got to him and throw him off. Now he just wasted a shell from his misfire! He only had three shots left, so he had better not waste them. As he got up to his feet, he glanced over at Alucard and Asuramaru just in time to see Alucard ram his foot into the latter's abdomen, knocking him straight into the air and smashing straight into the ceiling, kicking up smoke and debris.

Now that the distraction was out of the way, Alucard return his attention to shooting his student. "Motherf-!"

Yuuichiro found himself on the move again, blood pumping as he darted all across the room, avoiding gunfire from the dummy and Alucard while also trying to avoid being bitten by Baskerville. While he didn't feel tired, he sure as hell felt annoyed and irritated by the whole thing. Weren't training sessions supposed to be simple? More importantly, how was he supposed to get close to the dummy and destroy it without getting seriously injured here?!

A bullet nearly struck him, grazing across his face, causing him to hiss. Leaping back to avoid the Baskerville, finding the gigantic hellhound now between him and the dummy. He looked around the room, trying to find a way around the damn thing and some way to get past Alucard so he could get a good shot in.

There was one idea, but...

 _'...right. It's a human excuse._ ' Yuuichiro groaned as he palmed his forehead before shaking his head. _'Well... Here goes nothing!'_ Throwing caution to the wind, Yuuichiro charged at the Baskerville, pumping the gauge as he ran. This surprised the two men, but Alucard smiled widely in intrigue, watching as the hellhound charged at him. He jumped forward, avoiding it while aiming at the creature below him, pulling the trigger. While it wasn't enough to actually put a dent in the Baskerville, it was enough to slow it down and cause it to tumble and skid into the wall, growling and snarling. As he landed, Yuuichiro pumped the gauge action again and immediately went for the dummy. A bullet hit him in his shoulder and in his ribs, nearly causing him to stop, but he tried to power through the pain.

Finally, he reached point blank range and aimed the shotgun at the dummy. As he could pull the trigger, however, the Baskerville hound came up from behind in a surprising burst of speed, bringing its fangs down on his arm. As it was meant to hamper him, it didn't bite his arm off. Yuuichiro screamed in pain, missing his shot, though the screams were soon silenced when the dummy started to open fire on him directly, pounding into his stomach.

"Oh dear..." Walter grimaced. "At that range, even a rubber bullet can pierce through him. Especially ones laced in holy water."

"Now what will you do, kid?" Alucard pondered as he rested his gun against his shoulder, curious to see what Yuuichiro would do next.

Yuu felt his stomach being ripped into shreds. He swore, he felt the rubber bullets pierce into his stomach and pop out through his back. 'God...dammit...all...!' he growled. Even if this was a training exercise, he felt like he was going to die. When that line of thought crossed his mind, he found something snap inside him. His eyes widened, pupils growing into sharp slits as he brought the shotgun into his mouth, digging his teeth into the pump gauge and pulling it back, before he aimed it right at the dummy.

He pulled the trigger, and the dummy exploded into pieces of silicon and metal. And then the buzzer went off, signaling the end of the training session.

The young fledgling panted from exertion as he collapsed on his knees, Baskerville releasing his arm. He dropped the shotgun and grasped the wounds on his stomach. The injuries were slowly closing up, but the process was hampered due to the holy water from the bullets.

It hurt like hell...but he didn't stop the grin from overtaking his face.

Alucard matched his sentiments as he dropped down next to his sired. "Well done, kid. You finally learned how to act like a vampire in combat, human excuses will only get you killed. If you have a plan of attack, follow it through as a true vampire would."

"Y-you..." Yuu gasped for air, wincing as he felt his wounds knitting themselves up. "I think...I hate you...more than the Skals...you...dick..."

"Insults and vulgarity aside," Walter called out as he stepped into the training area, hands folded behind his back with a pleasant smile as if he hadn't just subjected poor Yuuichiro to being struck by bullets and being hunted by a literal hound from hell. "At least we finally found you a weapon that you can shoot and not miss with." Nodding to himself, Walter began chuckling. "I believe this gives me an idea for my next original."

"Excellent." Alucard chuckled before he looked over at the ceiling. Surprisingly, Asuramaru was still buried in the wall. "How much longer do you intend to stay there, demon?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe at least until I can actually pull myself out of this wall you threw me into you fucking prick!" The demon shouted.

Alucard shook his head before looking at Yuuichiro. "I trust you remember how you can recall your familiars?" he asked. Yuu promptly flipped him off before his shadow extended out, moving into the ceiling and swallowing up Asuramaru. Then his shadow receded, pulling back into the boy. "Good. We're done here for the day. I suggest you go sleep it off in your coffin."

"Screw...you..."

* * *

Ky had to be honest, he really didn't like this part of his job. Also being honest, he felt that he got stuck with the ickiest job somebody could think of.

"For the record," he told Krul, who was strapped to a cross-like contraption with her legs and arms bound. "I really don't like doing this."

"I'm fully aware." the pink-haired Progenitor said, smiling thinly. "Has that brat Lest arrived yet?"

"He'll officially be the new Overseer of Japan in less than six hours." Ky told her, checking to see if the straps were secure. "Again, I'm very sorry for what is about to happen, Krul."

"Don't be. I did this to myself."

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you go against orders?" Ky asked curiously. "You know the tenants we've had to undergo. The laws are clear. We are to have nothing to do with the Seraph of the End, not unless the situation truly calls for it. I find it odd that you, of all people, would go against those orders."

"As I said before, it was a personal matter." She repeated. "That being said, there was no other option but for me to use the Seraph of the End. I would've been unable to achieve my goal otherwise."

"And just what goal would that be, that you would risk your standing and authority?" Krul remained silent. Ky sighed, shaking his head. "Silent to the end, I see." he muttered before he turned his back. "I suppose I can respect that, to some degree. Here's hoping you survive, Third Progenitor!" He soon walked away, the others in the room shortly following behind him.

In the next second, sunlight flooded the room and Krul screamed.

* * *

Akane froze in place, hearing the screams of the woman who had saved hers and Mika's lives echo, even as far down as the subterranean tunnels they were traversing. Whimpering, she placed her hands over her ears and hunkered down, trying to block out the screams. Mika held her close, trying to comfort her as the sounds bounced off the walls, bringing discomfort to them both. While he may have hated Krul, even he couldn't help but feel terrified, wondering what they could have been doing to her. She sounded as if she was in serious pain.

"Make it stop...!" Akane cried helplessly. "Please, make it stop, Mika..."

"Shh...shh...it will be alright." He console ad her. "We're not that much farther from the exit. We'll meet that person soon and get out of here."

"O-okay..."

Pulling her up to her feet, and placing his own hands against her ears to try and block out the noise, the two children moved away and fled further down the tunnel.

Krul's instructions had been fairly simple. They had to sneak past a few guards in order to reach the tunnels that would lead them out to the surface, where they would meet someone who would get them out of the territory. They'd be led to a safe house, where they could hunker down for a while. They didn't know anything much about this contact, other than that they would be human dressed in black. One of the members of a human resistance who wanted to fight back against the vampires. Krul had said she wanted to explain the full truth to them, but then the present circumstances happened and now they were forced to flee.

As they traversed down, Mka suddenly pulled Akane aside, hiding in between a series of pipes. "Mika? What's going-" Akane tried to speak, but he covered her hand. Looking at him, she found his face tense. Then she understood why, as she heard series of footsteps approaching.

"Search the area." a cold voice commanded. "Lord Lest has ordered that the Seraps Krul sired are to be eliminated! If they've escaped, you know what happens! We join the traitor in the burning!"

"Yes sir!" The other vampires complied.

Mika cursed. They were found out sooner than he thought. They needed to run, now!

Patiently, he waited on baited breath for them to pass. Once they were gone, he peeked his head out, surveying the area before he pulled Akane out, hurriedly running to the exit. They pushed their new bodies as fast as they could go to escape the prison and into sanctuary. As they reached a large gap between platforms, Mika held Akane dearly and leaped over. Had he been human, he would have surely missed and led them to their deaths. However, his body was not that of a human. Not anymore. Instead, it streaked across the air and fell on the platform. Looking over his shoulder, he took notice of how large the gap was before he grimaced.

He supposed there were benefits to being a vampire.

Eventually, the two managed to reach an area similar to where they had met Ferid in the midst of their escape. A wide open space with an open entrance, vastly different to the rest of the area, resembling a rocky tunnel. "We're home free if we can just get outside." Akane mumbled. "What is the outside like, now...?" She was about to step forward, but Mika put a hand in front of her. "M-Mika?"

Narrowing his eyes, Mika raised his voice. "You can hide all you want, but you still reek of blood." he shouted. "There's no use hiding!"

At first, nothing happened. Then figures garbed in white slowly emerged from their hiding places. Akane stiffened, taking in their appearance: they were all vampires, garbed in the same attire that all the lesser Progenitors wore with sabers at their hips. "Impressive." one of them said, voice cold and emotionless. "You could still smell us from your position. Even though you were only sired weeks ago."

"M-Mika..." Akane trembled, hiding behind the blonde as he readied himself. He had already lost his family before. He wasn't about to lose them again.

"Don't take it personally." the leader of the group said, drawing his sword. Squeezing the hilt, thorns wrapped around his hand, piercing into his flesh. Blood trickled into the blade, causing it to go low. "Our orders are to eliminate you both."

They began to approach, drawing their swords and joining their comrade. Mikaela raised his fists. Even though he knew he would surely lose this fight, he'd still fight to protect Akane. If worst came to worst, he could distract them long enough for her to escape.

Then, a smooth male voice cut in, causing everyone to stop in their tracks and turn to the tunnel. "I'd appreciate it if you left those children alone." A man stepped into the room. He was a young adult, proving Krul's claims that the adults had not truly died out, looking to be somewhere in his early twenties, dark hair framing his charming yet cold face, and eyes narrowed and sharpened like daggers. In hand was a drawn, jet-black sword with a crimson outline in the middle, radiating a black aura that seeped out from it. "And while you're at it, pretend you never saw me here."

"A human?" a vampire questioned before looking at the man's apparel. It looked to be some kind of uniform, completely black save for the red trims and highlights with golden shoulders, and an emblem on the right sleeve. When he recognized it, his eyes widened and scowled. "The Demon Army?!"

The man smiled thinly. "Not quite." he replied before aiming his sword. "Let's get to work... **Mahiru-no-Yo**." In compliance to her master's wish, the Cursed Gear radiated a dark aura to demonstrate her power.

"Damn you!" One of the Skals rushed in to stab at the man, but found that his blade met naught but air.

In the next second, his body was torn asunder into three pieces, arm, head, and body. They collapsed to the ground in a bleeding mess. Then his body became reduced to mere dust. The man was behind the mess, a smirk plastered across his face while the aura around him flared. It was a dark, yet mesmerizing scene for the two Hyakuya orphans, unable to tear their eyes away. For a moment, they could have sworn they saw his eyes glow before he focused on the two vampires approaching him from the side, aiming for his vitals. With impressive speed, his sword was already in motion, bringing out dark waves of power that knocked them away like flies before taking the blade into both hands and thrusting in the opposite direction, stabbing a vampire that intended to come at him from behind. Blood gushed, splattering across the man's face, but he paid it no mind before he brought the blade up, ripping across the bloodsucker's body before slicing straight through his throat and head, reducing him to dust also.

Of the original five vampires that appeared, only three now remain.

Before the other two vampires he blew away recovered, he was already upon them. He cleaved one of them in two before stabbing the upper half in the head. He then moved to the other, blade raised high. The vampire brought up his blade to block it, but the Cursed Gear came down swiftly, slicing through it and bisecting the Skal in half.

Now only one remained. The leader of the group looked unfazed by the loss of his men. Instead, he only narrowed his eyes and held his sword before him. "Drink more, my sword..." he whispered, wincing slightly as the thorns dug deeper into his flesh.

"Guess you must feel frightened, having to give more blood to your weapon like that." The man mocked as he strode forward. Rolling his neck, he held his sword in both hands. The dark aura around him increased, leading the man to grin slightly, reveaing his canines to be slightly sharper. "Not that'll do you any good. You see, my Cursed Gear is really quite the nagging woman. If I die, she'll haunt me even to the grave. And that, my friend, is a fate worse than death, so I'm afraid you'll have to die instead."

"Don't get so full of yourself, human!" The squad leader of the Skals lunged forward so fast that a normal person wouldn't have been able to see them. Unfortunately, Guren Ichinose is no longer a normal human. He saw through his enemy's movements and swiftly, and literally, disarmed him. The vampire's sword arm fell a short distance away while Guren followed up and stabbed the man through the skull from below.

With a swift motion, Guren brought the sword down, cleaving him in half and leaving him to become dust like all the others. Straightening himself out, Guren looked around, finding no other vampires around and sighed softly, swiping his sword and erasing the dark aura that surrounded him before sliding the sword back into its sheath. Shaking his head, he looked at the two star-struck children.

"You two must be the newly made mosquitoes Krul mentioned." he said, breaking the spell over them. Akane looked at him in awe while Mika looked at him warily. The last one made Guren smile somewhat. At least the boy was cautious. "My name is Guren. And as much as I would like to stick around and chat, I'm afraid we can't stay here long. All that noise is going to attract their friends here."

"T-then you're the one Krul-san mentioned?" Akane asked timidly.

"Well, it depends what she mentioned about me, but I know for a fact I'm here to keep two of her newly sired safe from the vultures of Sanguinem." He shrugged. "And I'm guessing that'd be the two of you, then?"

"Y-Yes." Akane stepped forward, bowing deeply. "I'm Akane Hyakuya. This is Mikaela."

"Hyakuya?" Guren narrowed his eyes. "You two wouldn't happen to be from the Hyakuya Orphanage, would you?"

"And if we are...?" Mika asked with caution. Just how did this guy know about their old home?

Guren stared at the two, wondering about the odd fortune of this situation. They didn't seem aware of who they really were, or perhaps they were but didn't quite understand the whole story? "I really do hate that woman..." he muttered, shaking his head. In the back of his mind, Mahiru was laughing at his expense. "It seems I have a lot to tell you brats when we get out of here, seeing as how that hag didn't get the chance to tell you everything. Now, unless you two want to be killed like these idiots, let's get going."

* * *

Away from Japan, and somewhere hidden from prying eyes belonging to both the Vatican Church and even those in the Hellsing Organization, a man dressed in a fine suit sat in a desk, holding a cup of wine in his hand. His features were hidden in the shadows, but from the wrinkles on his hands, it was clear he was quite old. The only real illumination was the moon, and even then, the rather spacious study was barely revealed. Only a few stacks of books and two leather velveteen chairs were revealed, hidden in the shadows. On one of those chairs sat a figure, dressed in a trench coat and a fedora.

"It appears the Hellsing Family has become aware of our activities." the old man remarked with a droll, swishing the contents of his cup around in a slow, careful manner so as to not spill any of it. "Not that it really matters in the long run. After all, we've already gathered enough data." He craned his head, turning to another figure who stood by in the shadows. "Will the data we've provided be enough for your cause, Warrant Officer?"

Stepping out from the darkness was a young boy, appearing to be approximately 14 years of age. He had a mess of pale blonde hair on his head with a pair of cat ears, strangely. His eyes were red and had a mischievous smirk plastered on his face. He was dressed in a pair of black shorts, a yellow dress shirt, black knee high socks and a black tie. He also wore pairs of white gloves and black dress shoes.

"Yes, indeed." The youth grinned. "You have went above and beyond with your assistance, good sir. The Doctor will be able to put the data you gathered to good use. A shame you decided not to join us. The Major would've granted you quite a high-ranking position!"

The old man shook his head. "I have no interest in that fool's games." he said bitterly. "My only interest is bringing the Hellsing Organization to its knees. I don't care if it is a large blow, or a small one. I only want that whore to understand what it means to abuse the powers of angels and demons."

"Ah, yes. The Seraph of the End." the youth said, recalling that particular detail. "He's caused quite a stir, both back home in Germany and for the Skals. The Major is quite interested to see where he'll go. Even First Lieutenant Rip Van Winkle wants to see what he'll be. She's half-convinced that he'll be her Valkyrie, come to whisk her away once it's time for her to meet her Zamiel."

"Is that right?" the old man scoffed, waving a hand in dismissal. "And while speaking of Millennium's affairs...what do you intend to do about the Skals? I understand the Major has formed a rapport with a Progenitor called Lest Karrs."

"Little more than a mere pawn." he answered with a Cheshire-like smile. "He's fully aware that he's just using him, much in the same way we are. Then again, that pawn did have his uses. He is the reason why we were able to find her."

"At the risk of incurring the wrath of Alucard, no less. I pray for the day when he tears your organization, limb from limb, as he dies, should he learn the fate of that woman's body."

"So does the Major." the youth said before he waved a hand. "I'll be off now. Pass auf, good sir! And happy hunting!"

"...so there's the ability of the paradoxical cat." The old man murmured. "...how annoying."

"Is it wise?" the trench coat wearing man said for the first time. "To place trust in them?"

"No, there is not." the old man answered with disdain. "But, they've served their purpose. As will you. Do not forget, the only reason you exist in this world is to bring Hell on earth to this world's inhabitants, be they human or vampire. Do we have an understanding?"

"Yes, sir."

Even in the shadows of his study, the old man smiled. "...good."

* * *

VAMPIRE REQUIEM

-Chapter 2 of 10-

* * *

 _ **The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.**_

 _ **He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.**_

 _ **He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name.**_

 _ **Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.**_

 _ **You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.**_

 _ **You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.**_

 _ **Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.**_

 _ **Amen.**_


	3. III

Disclaimer: I do not own Seraph of the End or Hellsing. Both are products of Takaya Kagami and Kouta Hirano respectively. The only thing I own are the series of events that transpire and the massive amounts of bloodshed and gore.

* * *

 _ **A Seraph of the End x Hellsing Crossover:**_

 _ **"World Without Logos"**_

* * *

 _Vampires._

 _In ancient legend and myth, they are the true rulers of the night. Blood sucking creatures, who command otherworldly forces and feed on the necks of poor, unfortunate souls._

 _However, unknown to the masses, there exists an organization, who's task is to eliminate these creatures. They are known as the Hellsing Organization._

 _Within the Hellsing Organization is a powerful creature. A vampire, beyond the likes of which ordinary men have never seen. He is feared by vampire and humankind alike, and is known by many names._

 _The ultimate vampire. Hellsing's guard dog. The No Life King._

 _...Alucard._

 _This, is the story of a soul who's fate becomes entangled within this world of darkness._

 _"In the name of God, impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation. Amen."_

* * *

 **-III-**  
 **ENTER MADNESS**

* * *

In retrospect, the idea of harboring two vampires, two Seraphs of the End at that, was surely enough reason for the Hiiragi Family to execute Guren on the spot if they were to ever learn about it. And that wasn't taking into account the fact that he was working with Krul. That surely would have asked for a worse punishment.

Yet he couldn't think of any worse fate than having to explain to these brats the things that Krul had neglected to mention. Or she did plan to tell them everything, but she got caught before she could. He really didn't like having to explain all this stuff to them, especially given that he had a hand in all this shit.

The two had been wary of him at first, the blonde kid especially so. Mikaela was certainly on edge, constantly giving him this look that dared him to try something. Akane, however, was a gentle and dainty little thing that Shinoa could learn a thing or two from. She was giving him the benefit of a doubt, but she was also cautious and maintained a safe distance between them.

Not that it mattered. Even if didn't want to kill them, he could do so easily. They were freshly turned. Ending their lives would be so easy.

The warehouse was practically in between vampire and Hiiragi territory, with few routine patrols. Since it had already been stripped clean and searched already before in the past, the odds of anyone looking in here were next to none. It did little to provide any real means of shelter, but that only applied to humans. Since they were Vampires, warmth was of little concern.

Even so, the least he could do was offer some food. "Here." Guren set two steaming bowls of soup on the table. "It ain't blood bags, but since you two are newborns, I figured you could settle for this."

"Thank you, Guren-san." Akane bowed her head gratefully while Mikaela shot him a small glare. The two took the bowls and immediately went in. As he expected, they showed disappointed faces as they realized that there was little to actually taste. "I hoped we'd at least have some taste left."

"Afraid not." the man waved a hand. "The only thing you'll have any real taste for is blood. To be honest, I'm surprised you kids haven't already had a drop of it yet. Or was that little half-pint of a tyrant keeping you starved."

The blondie stared at him. "How do you know Krul anyway?" he more or less demanded. "Who even are you?"

"Guren Ichinose. The guy who saved your little ass." Guren answered with a smirk. "And I suppose you could say I'm that half-pint's own little gofer. I'm human, that much you can be certain of, but she and I share a common interest." He grabbed a nearby chair from the corner of the room, pulling it over towards the table and took a seat. "Now then... I imagine you lot must have a lot of questions. Namely, why adults are still around."

"Kind of..." Akane nodded. "Is it true that, outside of Japan, everyone else is alive?"

"For the most part, yes. As far as I know, no one on the outside knows what's going on here in Japan, and for good reason. Last thing anyone wants is for the whole damn world to know that the country's been overrun with bloodsuckers and. Of course, the only reason this even happened was because the taboo was broken."

"Taboo?" Mikaela asked. "What taboo?"

And here it was. The moment he had been dreading. In the back of his head, Mahiru was laughing in such a cold manner, he was reminded that this was no longer the woman he loved. If she were, there was only so little left of her. "Every now and then, there are these special little humans who are blessed with extraordinary power." he began to explain, propping his feet on the table. "In their genetic coding is something that defies human understanding. These brats are the children of god - the Seraph of the End. It's said that just one Seraph has it within their power to bring about the end of the world. As you can imagine, some shady people wanted to get their hands on these specimens. Some wanted to use them for profit. Others for personal gain. A few wanted to use them as tools of war. The only ones that wanted nothing to do with the Seraphs were the Vampires."

"The vampires?" the little girl asked in surprise. "Why?"

"Don't know. All I know is, the Council that rules over the Vampires had made it clear that they were to have nothing to do with the Seraph of the End, much less the affairs of the human world." Guren then gave a low chuckle, shaking his head in wry amusement. "Of course, that rule went right out the window when the Apocalypse Virus began to spread and started killing off anyone over 13." He leaned forward as he scooped up the half-empty bottle of water he had been drinking, downing its remaining contents before he tossed it aside. "Of course, the blood suckers also made it a point to go after anyone who was delving too deep into the power of the Seraphs, because if they do, they end up running the risk of violating one of the sacred taboos."

Akane tilted her head. "And what taboo was that?"

"Bringing the dead back to life." He couldn't help but smirk, seeing the stunned looks on their faces. "The Seraph of the End are capable of returning the dead back to the living. But in doing so, you damn the whole world, because death is absolute. The only ones who are allowed to cheat death are those who partake in blood. That is to say, the vampires. When a human violates the taboo, well suffice to say they piss off God something fierce. The Apocalypse Virus spread because someone violated the taboo. And since the taboo was broken in Japan, it was where the virus was most focused on."

The two processed this information. It was likely a lot for them to take in. Mikaela was the quickest to adjust to it all, digesting everything he could before he looked at Guren with a frown. "How do you know so much?"

Guren sighed and closed his head. "Because I'm the stupid son of a bitch who broke the taboo, that's why."

"What?!" The two kids asked in shock. The one who broke the taboo...the reason why most of the adults were killed, the reason why the vampires took over was because of this man?!

Guren could see how well they were taking it. Akane looked like she wasn't sure whether to be confused, angry, or maybe both. The blonde one, though, had already settled on an emotion to cling to. His shoulders trembled, eyes narrowed and becoming pinpricks. Before Akane could stop him from doing anything rash, he lunged over the table and at Guren. The man easily dodged him and kicked him aside, sending him into a wall and pinning him with his boot.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to kill the guy who's risking his neck for your sorry ass." he said. Mikaela, in response, spat in his face and tried to pry his foot off of him. "I know I'm the whole reason you lot have suffered, but if you ask me, being used as feeding bags sounds a lot better than being used as guinea pigs."

That caused Mikaela to stop. Akane stared at him. "What-what do you mean?"

"The group I work for, the Japanese Imperial Demon Army, has expressed an interest in using the Seraph of the End as weapons. Tools to fight back against the Vampires." Guren said. "I won't lie and say we were humane. But, there was one group who had an interest in the Seraph of the End. A group who's treatment and methods were far, far worse than what any group could have come up with. They were called the Brotherhood of a Thousand Nights, but these days, they call themselves by another name."

His smile was twisted, perhaps because Mahiru had asserted some control right then and there, morphing what was once a sardonic smile into a leer. "They called themselves the Hyakuya Sect." The two stared at him, mouths agape. "The people who took you in? Picked you up from off the streets, took you from abusive parents, held you when no one else would? They were all members of that group, who were meddling in things no human should ever meddle in."

"That can't be." Mikaela whispered in disbelief. "Y-you're lying."

Guren cocked his head. "Am I?" he asked. "The Hyakuya Sect were meticulous. After every experiment, they wiped the memories of the subjects. And Seraphs heal fast. No word of abuse. No evidence. But even if you have no memory of the incident, and you don't have the scars to tell you what happened..." He leaned forward, looking Mikaela dead in the eye. "...but your body remembers, doesn't it? Now more so than ever, since you're no longer human."

Mikaela's eyes widened as a small buzz within his body seemed to respond to Guren's words. His hands trembled, his chest rose and fell rapidly, and his breath started to become hitched.

Sighing, Guren removed his foot from Mikaela, leaving him to fall to the floor unceremoniously. "I regret what I did." he said. "But if it meant I could give my friends a second lease on life, then I would gladly do it again in a heartbeat. Wouldn't you do the same, Mikaela Hyakuya, if it meant you could bring your family back?"

He could offer no response. Not even Akane, who had been listening to everything the man had spoken, could offer an answer.

Because they would have agreed with him.

* * *

The moment Yuu saw what was inside the case Walter had brought him, he felt as if Christmas had come early. Asuramura, on the other hand, stared at the item in question with incredulity before he looked at the old butler in accusation.

"You turned my home into a gun." he said slowly, baring his fangs and his shadows sprawling and becoming more livid. "You turned. My home. Into. _A gun_."

"Technically, it is more a prison than anything else." Walter responded cheekily. "And besides, you already have a new home, don't you?" The former Skal bristled at the way the old man just wrote him off, and would have killed him, were it not for the fact that Alucard was watching him like a hawk with his gun held leisurely in hand. "Tell me, Yuuichiro, how do you like it?"

Yuu gingerly picked up the item from the case. It was a double-barred shotgun, a bit longer than the sawed-off one he used in the training session a week ago. It seemed to be made mostly of metal, but there was some wood attached to the bottom of the barrel and around the grip, coiling around where the trigger was. Neon green markings were etched into the sides of the barrels, resembling devilish wings with eyes drawn on them. Etched into the wooden grip was the motto of the Hellsing family.

"It's beautiful." he breathed in amazement, holding the gun in his hands. It felt heavy. The gun he used before was so light it was ridiculous. This was different. There was actual weight in it. "What is this? A pump-action? Semi-automatic?"

"Pump action. Capable of firing 20 gauge shells for a wider scattershot, customized to deliver the same power output as Alucard's Cassul. It is designed to fire explosive shells, blessed silver shells, and two types of slugs; blessed silver casing with mercury tips, and depleted uranium shell slugs. I present to you, Master Yuuichiro, the _Maalik_." Walter presented proudly.

Alucard whistled. "Impressive work." he said while Yuu continued to inspect the gun at various angles. "I can hardly wait to see what it can do out in the field. Shame that whoever's been making cheap knock-off vampires has been quiet lately."

"I'm still not happy." Asuramaru grumbled. While he wasn't quite attached to the sword that served as his vessel, he had more or less considered it to be something of a home. It had been where he was stored in for several years now. The fact that its remains were used to make such an ugly thing didn't sit well with him. Still, if it could serve the brat well, he supposed he could let it slide for now. "Well, whatever..."

"Since whoever has been causing a ruckus has decided to give us a bit of reprieve, why don't we pass the time with a little studying, hm?"

Yuuichiro groaned. "Do we have to?"

"You may be a member of the undead now, young man, but you are still a child. That, and our previous sessions have told me that your educational skills are severely lacking." No doubt due to his upbringing. The Skals focused seeing them as little more than food, so they didn't see the point in furthering their education. Something that Walter would have to rectify. "You must understand, Master Yuuichiro, that on more than one occasion, you will be sent out to other countries. You'll not only need to study up on their culture, but also the language. You've thankfully learned some English prior to your circumstances, but being a vampire doesn't automatically mean you know every language."

The boy gave Walter a flat stare. "I've heard Boss speak Latin, French, Spanish and maybe Portuguese on more than one occasion." he deadpanned.

Alucard smirked. "Because I drank the blood of men who knew such languages." he informed his fledgling. "If you were more open to drinking blood, you'd be able to learn a foreign language as well."

"The day that happens is the day hell freezes over. I won't stoop to the level of those bloodsucker's in Sanguinem." Yu declared determinedly.

"Then I supposed you'll have to make due reading and writing languages." Walter said dryly. "Now, come along, Master Yuuichiro."

"Do I have to?"

"That depends, which do you prefer more? Studying, or training with Sir Alucard?"

Not even ten seconds after finishing that sentence did Yuu bolt right out of the room faster than a bat out of hell, no doubt heading to the Study Room. Chuckling in amusement, Walter followed him out the door before bowing his head to Alucard. In response, the No Life King tipped his hat to the old man and watched him leave. Just then, Integra entered the room, having no doubt heard the remaining conversation.

"A vampire who doesn't drink blood." she said with a wry grin. "That'll be something to see."

Alucard smirked. "I remember back during my days under Professor Hellsing, I once encountered a Skal who tried to survive without drinking any blood. A newly born fledgling, my best guess." he recalled with fondness. "He fed on animal blood, particularly favoring sardines."

"What happened to him?"

"He starved and went mad, like any other." He didn't need to say the rest. "Either way, sooner or later, the boy will have to drink blood. It all depends on what will force him to do so. I'd rather not having him rely on the powers of an angel and risk him going out of control."

"Not confident you could beat him?"

His lips thinned. "I've never seen a Seraph of the End up close before, so I can't say for sure. Even so, I've heard of what they are capable of. If those stories hold any weight, I doubt releasing my full power wouldn't be enough. But I digress. Any news on our mystery friend?"

"Unfortunately, no. Ever since we discovered one of their base of operations, they've gone remarkably silent. Sir Wales has also made it clear that we'll be put in charge of the case, whereas other branches of the Hellsing Family will handle other vampire cases."

"I doubt that's wise." Alucard said with wit. "Unless, of course, they only want to add to the list of problems. No offense to your men, Integra, but they serve better as fodder than hunters." Especially considering that Alucard had ridiculously high standards. To him, the only way they would be any worth would be if they stood on the same level as the man who brought him down and made him into what he was now. A dog of the Hellsing Family.

Integra took a drag of her cigar, shrugging her shoulders. "Indeed. That's why they've requested aid from other vampire hunting organizations. Primarily the Vatican Church." She gave Alucard a grin. "To which they vehemently gave us a big fat "fuck you." It seems they've heard we turned one of God's little helpers into a vampire, and they are not happy."

"Oh, that I can imagine." Alucard chuckled. "An Angel made into a creature of the night. They must be quite livid."

"I believe that to be an understatement."

* * *

Despite her young age, Shinoa Hiiragi was perhaps one of the best the Japanese Imperial Demon Army had to offer. She was an imp at times, and knew how to irritate a person something foul, but give her a Cursed Gear and have her fight a vampire or Horseman of John, and she will prove to you why she was a soldier in the first place.

Something that members of her platoon were reminded of as they watched her soar through the air, a jet black scythe in hand with hellish flames trailing behind it. With a sly grin, she descended and swung, cleaving her scythe right through the Horseman. The flames burned and seared through its flesh, practically cooking it in seconds before reducing it to scorched remains. It gave a weak cry before it fell like a sack of potatoes, the ground trembling beneath their feet.

"Aw, was that it?" Shinoa asked with a pout. "Bo~ring."

With a twirl of her weapon, the massive death scythe shrunk down to the size of a pen. She flicked her hair and stared at the corpse of the giant monster before she skipped over to her squad. "Was that seriously necessary, Lieutenant Hiiragi?" one of her squad mates asked. It was a woman, mid-teens with red hair done in pigtails. "You know you shouldn't rush in so recklessly!"

"Always so strict." Shinoa smiled wryly. "If you keep having that frown, you might get wrinkles~"

"Quiet!" She snapped irritably. "One of us has to be strict so the rest of us don't get killed by these things! You can't just rush in without a plan of attack like that! You could've put the whole squad in danger!"

As the girl then began to yell at Shinoa, who looked more annoyed an bemused than anything else, the leader of the squad sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why'd I agree to take her on?" he muttered to himself. Ever since Shinoa came under his care, she had been so damn annoying, not to mention troublesome. A loose cannon, but not one that was meant to be underestimated. Her skill and proficiency with the Cursed Gear was insane, especially for someone her age. As he reminded himself, the girl was soon to be welcomed into the ranks of the Moon Demon Company, and under Guren's temporary command before she would be allowed to form her own squadron. When the time came, he'd be happy as all hell.

"Sir." The captain turned around, finding one of his subordinates approaching. "We manage to locate the vampire's base."

That caused the strict member to stop shouting and Shinoa to grin. The captain's lips became thin, forming into a stern line. "Where?"

"About twenty miles, West of here. It seems to be an outpost. Your orders?"

"Inform the central squad that we'll be acting solo." he said, narrowing his eyes. "Ever since that weird report, the vampires have been acting weird. Their numbers are far too sparse. Almost as if something has them spooked. If we can use that to our advantage and take an outpost, it should even the odds. Just to be safe, however, I'll take only four." He turned to his squad. "Any volunteers?"

"I'll do it!" To no surprise, Shinoa immediately volunteered herself.

"If the maverick's going, then I am too!" her apparent warden announced, most likely trying to keep an eye on Shinoa.

Two others raised their hands. The captain nodded and then nudged his head.

* * *

Finding the outpost was easy, as was taking out the two guards out in front. While the second lieutenant was no powerhouse like Shinoa, she certainly made up for it in terms of skill and agility. Which was surprising, given the fact that she wielded a giant battle ax. The poor bastards didn't even realize what hit them before they were reduced to dust. After checking to see if there was any more, the group of five headed inside.

The outpost interior was dilapidated, much like everywhere else. Surprisingly, the district it resided in wasn't badly damaged, meaning it was one of the few places that hadn't suffered serious destruction as a result of the battle between the JIDA and the vampires, and the rampages of the Horsemen of John. It was also strangely devoid of guards. They did encounter one or two, which made their job easy. Shinoa snuck and eliminated them without a sound, allowing them to progress deeper.

The upper floor seemed to be where most activity was, as there were a dozen or so vampires in the room. Shinoa was about to engage, but the captain grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. It was best that they analyze the situation, then strike. She clearly didn't like it, but she accepted the order and they pulled back, hiding away in the shadows.

"How come we've been relocated to this place?" they overheard a couple of vampires talking, one of them sounding annoyed. "We should be back at Sanguinem, preparing for the new Overseer's arrival."

The second lieutenant frowned. "Overseer?"

"The ruler of the vampires in the country, I wager." Shinoa guessed. "We've heard them talk about a leader called Krul. I guess the higher ups decided it was time to give her the boot."

"You know the drill." his comrade dismissed him. "Besides, being out here makes our job easier if you ask me. I don't wanna be anywhere near the coast. Not after what I heard."

The third vampire sneered. "What? Did you lose your outpost to the humans?"

"Wait, you haven't heard?!" the second vampire cried. "The No Life King was spotted there!"

"WHAT?!"

The captain narrowed his eyes, straining his ears. _'The No Life King?'_ That was interesting. From the looks on their faces, whoever this individual must be was someone they feared greatly. In his years of service, the vampires were emotionless beings. If they did have any emotion in them, it was enjoyment in their superiority over humans and wanting to drink as much blood as possible. The fact that they showed genuine fear was enough to make him curious to know more about this so called king.

"Are you serious?" one of his comrades whispered, eyes wide in panic. "Why is that monster here?!"

"I don't know, but word is, he sired one of the escapees from Sanguinem. Worse, it was a Seraph!"

"WHAT?!" He grabbed the one who spoke by the lapels of his cape. "You can't be serious! That will spell the genocide of us all!"

"Wait, sire?" the second lieutenant's eyes widened slightly, looking at her squad mates. "Did-did I hear that right?"

Shinoa nodded, also stunned by what they learned. "They're scared...of another vampire?" she asked, as if finding the idea ludicrous. "Seriously?"

 _'Seraph...'_ The captain was having other thoughts. His face was somewhat pale, the word repeating in his mind. _'A vampire turned a Seraph into one of their own?'_

If what those vampires said is the truth...then it is an absolutely disastrous outcome. "Captain, what do we do?"

"Change of plans." His grip on his Cursed Gear was tight. And as Shinoa noticed, his hand was trembling. "We're taking one of them alive."

* * *

Yuu thought he was going to go mad, either from the hell that Alucard loved to put him through or the copious amounts of studying. Walter had been a harsh teacher, drilling one lesson into him after another until it seemed like his head would explode. Asuramaru had also taken to snickering at his mistakes. The training sessions with Alucard were just as ridiculous, if only because the vampire was a sadist and he was putting his body through hell. The man didn't use standard bullets, settling for rubber bullets laced with holy water instead. And for added measure, Baskerville was allowed to play with him as well.

Were it not for his apparent ability to regenerate, Yuu would have been angry over the fact that he lost a leg. As a matter of fact, Alucard actually seemed impressed by this.

"To think you'd be able to regenerate, without drinking any blood." he remarked with a slight smile on his face. "It seems we've got a natural Nosferatu on our hands."

"I take it..." Yuu grimaced as he tapped his newly made leg. It felt natural, but at the same time, it felt so foreign. He could move it like any other limb, but it felt so strange on his body. Like it wasn't his leg at all. "...most vampires can't do this?"

"Not newly born ones. You'd have to be at least a few centuries on your belt." the red-clad man shrugged his shoulders. "Furthermore, you still haven't consumed human blood, which is the catalyst to unlock your full powers as a Nosferatu."

"But...wasn't my body healed when you made me into one? I'm pretty sure I remember missing a lung and most of my chest."

"That was your body repairing itself for the transformation process. It's something all Nosferatu undergo. Same with Skals, I wager." Yuu's eyes widened at this. Alucard smirked wryly. "Come now, you honestly didn't think they began as vampires from when they were born, did you? All vampires, including myself, were all once human."

"Seriously? Then how did you all become vampires in the first place?!"

Alucard pursed his lips, cupping his chin. "The process differs. For Nosferatu, you would have to drink the blood of someone who is of the opposite sex who's purity remains intact. In other words, a virgin. I, however, differ in that regard as I was the first Nosferatu to come into existence."

Yuu's jaw went slack. "So, wait... That makes you a king?"

"Back in my human life, I was a king." Alucard nodded. "However, I was not bitten. And by the time I became an undead, I was far from being a virgin. Rather, I was offered the chance to partake in the night." The man sighed as he stared at the ceiling with a certain fondness, yet Yuu could clearly see the sadness in those bloody red eyes of his. "I do not recall who or what they were. Only that a river of blood was offered before me. The moment that blood touched my lips, I was no longer human. I had abandoned it and became a monster beyond human comprehension. And with my birth, the Skals were no longer the only vampires in existence. Now, they had new brethren: the Nosferatu."

Alucard paused for a moment, as he thought back to his first meeting with them, then laughed boisterously, surprising his brood.

"Of course, I also made sure that they knew I was hardly the sociable type. They thought they could make me bend the knee." His eyes flickered as his mouth opened and formed into a twisted grin, showing off all of his fangs. "I ripped them to pieces instead. And for that, they gave me the title of No Life King. They've wisely chosen not to interfere with me ever since."

"Wait...you made the Skals...fear of you? As in. they would piss their pants at the mere mention of you?" Yu asked in awe.

"Well, they would be stricken in terror and flee, but yes." Alucard's smile remained intact.

"The humans feared me when I was once known as the Impaler Prince. And I made the Skals fear me in the same way." Alucard then sighed and shook his head. "But enough of that. Stories are meant to have meaning. Mine are but reminisce. For now, let's focus on you, kid."

Yuu growled. "Dammit, my name isn't kid!"

"I'll start calling you by name when you've learned to accept what you are." the man snapped before he raised his Cassul. Baskerville emerged from his shadow, bearing down on the boy menacingly. "Now, hurry and draw your sword. And try your best not to lose a limb this time."

* * *

After making sure that the brats could look after themselves, and making sure that the safehouse was indeed secure, Guren returned to base. There wasn't much fanfare, and his stalker had joined his side the moment he stepped inside the JIDA HQ.

"You've been gone a while." Shinya said with a sly grin. "Where were you?"

"Business." Guren simply said before he looked around the halls. Of the few people here, he noticed how they were solemn, mourning or had the same expression they always had when they heard how someone had been killed out on the field. "I take it somebody died?"

"Two people from Squad Seven." his stalker told him. "The second lieutenant and the captain. Shinoa and another member survived. Apparently, they managed to take over an outpost, and capture a vampire. They overheard some interesting information."

"Like what?"

"That there's someone the vampires fear."

Guren stopped and looked at Shinya, who's grin grew. The man now had Guren's interest. "Well, that's interesting." he said before they resumed walking. "Did they start the interrogation?"

"Shinoa actually requested you be there." Shinya said. "If I were you, I'd hurry. She seemed quite antsy."

 _ **'Ah, but when isn't she?'**_ Mahiru giggled. _**'Still, to think that there's someone the vampires are terrified of. This should be quite interesting!'**_

* * *

The Sunlight Room was just how it sounded. And it was every bit as foreboding, if you are a bloodsucking monster. It was a twenty foot-by-foot room with pure white walls, tiled with panels that could reflect light. The only way in and out of the room was the door leading into the place, and it was guarded by thirty-inches of the strongest metal known to man.

Behind that door was the observation room. Monitors and one-way viewing mirrors allowed them to look into the room. The vampire was stripped clean of his clothes and had needles pierced into his flesh, each containing fluids meant to considerably weaken the poor bastard. His arms were bounded behind his back and connected via chain links to the cuffs around his ankles, which were then led to a stake burrowed into the ground.

Guren whistled in appreciation. "Consider me impressed." he said. "You've perfected the art of S&M."

"I aim to please~" Shinoa grinned.

"I heard your captain and a squad mate died. My condolences."

"Why, thank you, Captain Guren."

Shinya cocked his head. "You don't sound very concerned about the fact that you lost two comrades." Shinoa just continued to grin. Guren knew the girl wasn't really attached to her squad mates in the least. The only person she was even remotely close to was Guren himself, but even he doubted that they were really friends. Perhaps acquaintance was the best word. "So, what information does this vampire have?"

"We overheard some pretty interesting things." Shinoa said wistfully. "It seems that they have a rogue vampire among them, and they're scared to death of him. They call him the No Life King. And apparently, he was seen here in Japan, and sired someone who escaped from Sanguinem."

Guren immediately knew who Shinoa was talking about. _**'Well, at least now we know who to thank for screwing up my prophecy.'** _Mahiru said. He could tell she was pouting. _**'Still, a rogue vampire? That's a new one.'**_

"A vampire that doesn't obey the rules, huh?" Shinya chuckled. "Sounds like a certain someone I know."

"Oh. Shut up, Shinya." Guren scowled. "There are no rules on the battlefield. Not in a battle for survival."

"I still say that's just your excuse for being a complete maverick."

"You and Shinoa-chan are a lot alike in that regard."

Shinoa gagged while Guren's lips curved into distaste. He wisely chose not to retort to that and instead look at their prisoner. "So, aside from the vampires having a rogue and that they apparenty sired someone who escaped, has our friend said anything?"

"That's why you're here." Shinya said. "After all, out of everyone besides Kureto, you are one of the few people who can make a vampire talk. Just don't actually kill it after we're done questioning it this time. Or turn it into a demon."

"The last time was an accident."

"Suuuuuure." the tiny girl rolled her eyes. "Hurry it up, will you?"

"Fine..."

Rolling his shoulders, Guren stepped in front of the steel doors, fingers dancing across the keypad. With a groan, the doors were pulled open, ever so slowly while releasing a creaking noise that was hell on the ears. It opened up enough to allow one person to step inside. Gripping Mahiru-no-yo, he stepped inside. The door slid to a close behind him. Guren glanced at the vampire, noting how utterly frail she looked. Thin physique, pale skin, long light purple hair and elongated ears, and the vampire's signature red eyes.

The vampire lifted her head, glaring at Guren with disdain. He smiled back. "Nice to meet you too." he greeted amicably. "I hear you have some interesting things to tell us."

"I have nothing to say to a filthy human like you."

"Really? My comrades said otherwise. They said that you have an interesting subject to talk about. Something about a rogue Vampire that strikes absolute fear into the rest of your kind." The vampire stilled at that, but her expression didn't change. "And I also hear he sired someone who managed to escape your little hideaway." Guren kneeled down. "Now, see, I actually don't like interrogation all that much. It can get kind of messy at times. Especially when my superior tells me to kill them after we're done with them. But my boss actually thinks you'll be useful alive. So, here's how things will go. You are going to tell me everything you know about this so-called No Life King. And I mean everything."

"Fuck you!"

She suddenly gasped, blood splurting from her mouth. She looked down, finding Mahiru-no-yo pierced into her stomach. "Sadly, you don't have much of a choice." Guren's voice was hard. Cold, even. At this moment, both he and Mahiru were speaking together. The blade wasn't buried too deeply, but its touch was enough to elicit burning pain within the vampire's body. He pulled the blade up, cutting more into her body. "It really is hard, getting a vampire to talk. But do you know what I've learned, in the time I've been asked to interrogate you mosquitos?"

He gave a dark smile.

"You're more terrified of becoming a demon than you are of being reduced to dust."

The vampire's eyes widened. Before she had time to beg or yell for him to stop, Guren twisted the blade and ripped a hole in her chest. Faster than any could see, his gloved hand darted inside the open cut and grabbed hold of her still-beating heart.

"Tell me." he growled. "Who is the No Life King? Talk, or I rip out your heart."

"...his...His name is Alucard!" The Vampire gave in and admitted defeat. Guren gripped the heart tighter and slowly tugged. The vampire's face lost what little color it had. "T-the humans called him Vlad Tepes! T-the Impaler! We-we tried to recruit him to our ranks 600 years ago! He k-killed nearly all of us! He-he's the reason why t-the Council was made!"

 _ **'Vlad the Impaler?'** _Mahiru expressed shock. _ **'I'm aware he was used as the model for that book, but to think he was an actual vampire!'**_

Guren shared her sentiments before he continued his interrogation. "What makes this Alucard so different from you all? From what I get, you vampires have no sense of loyalty to each other, yet you fear this man as if he were the Devil himself."

"B-because he is Nosferatu!" she hissed, trying to break free of her bonds in an attempt to kill this bastard, but found her efforts to be of little use. The shackles remained sturdy and would not shatter. "The first Nosferatu! He is of the same kin as the First Progenitor! He is...!" she whimpered, feeling her heart threatening to be pulled from its confines. "He is far above us... He is, a True Vampire...!"

"A True Vampire?" Guren questioned. "Just what makes this Nosferatu different from you in terms of Vampires?"

"We-we are born as Skals." the vampire answered. "We were t-the first vampires born into this world...! The Nosferatu w-were born 600 years ago, a-after Alucard came into being!"

"So even thought your species of Vampire is the oldest, you're terrified of this new generation of Vampire? What exactly can he do?"

"We don't know! The last anybody heard of him was two centuries ago! He-he was thought to have been seen here in Japan!"

"Which brings me to my next question." Guren narrowed his eyes. "The person who escaped from Sanguinem. Who were they?" To ensure that he received an answer, he pulled just enough for one of the many tubes connected to the heart to snap.

The poor wench sung like a jailbird. "A SERAPH! A SERAPH OF THE END!"

 _ **'So I was right...'**_ Mahiru huffed. _**'This Nosferatu was the reason why my prophecy was wrong...'**_

 _'Seems like.'_ Guren agreed. _'Still, if this Alucard is as powerful as they claim, then why come to Japan? More importantly, why sire the Seraph?'_

 _ **'I doubt this vampire has the answer to that...'**_

He agreed with her on that part. Satisfied, and having obtained all the information he needed, he decided to let the vampire off. It would be a pain if she turned into a demon, and he really didn't want to kill her and risk dealing with the paperwork. He pulled his hand back, leaving the vampire to shudder and collapse under herself, breath shuddering and gasping for air. He slid the Cursed Gear back into its scabbard and walked away from her. The steel doors pulled open and let him step back inside.

"And that," Shinya greeted with a grim smile. "Is why I don't do interrogations."

Shinoa nodded, albeit far more enthusiastic. "Have to admit, that's the first time I've seen you so cold and callous. Are you a vampire in disguise, Captain?"

"Maybe." Guren replied with a grin. "But if I were, I'd have to be a pretty ballsy one."

"So, what did our friend tell you?" Guren wisely left out a few key details, such as the Seraph of the End. Shinoa, being a Hiiragi, was likely already aware of their existence. Only members of the Hiiragi family, those within their inner circle, and the higher ups of the JIDA were allowed to know of their existence. Only a select few outside of these paremeters also known of the Seraph of the End. "I see... So the vampires we have been dealing with up to this point are Skals, whereas this new race of vampire, the Nosferatu, only came into existence 600 years ago. And this Alucard, which they fear so greatly, is the progenitor of their race."

"And he's apparently the same guy who got kicks out of ramming spears up people's butts." Shinoa chimed, though the smile didn't quite match her eyes. "Something tells me he's not a fun guy to be around."

Guren folded his arms. "Now that we're done with her, what do we do?"

"That'll be for the higher ups to decide." Shinya shrugged. "But if I'm to hazard a guess, I would say she will be used a guinea pig for experiments and such."

"Seems likely. We don't have many Vampire prisoners. It would be a good way to study them since we have a live subject." Shinoa said before she made her way to the door. "Aaah, now I'm bored. Do you think the cafeteria is open?"

Shinya and Guren followed her out, though not before the latter shot one last pitiful look at the vampire being held inside the cell. He almost felt bad for her. Almost. Still, at least she provided some valuable information. _'Nosferatu. Alucard. The No Life King.'_ he mulled over those terms in his head as he walked, a hand in his pocket. _'I wonder how the Hiiragi will take the news that there's some kind of super vampire running around?'_

Knowing them,they would want to capture, study, and use him for their own ends. Somehow, Guren had the feeling that one day he'd meet the person that he was meant to find. When he did, though, he wasn't sure what would happen. A Seraph turned vampire was an intriguing prospect, but his position and forced loyalty to the Hiiragi would most likely put the two at odds unless something were to happen.

 _'Well, whatever. We'll cross the bridge when we get to it...'_

* * *

 _ **He was screaming. His body was being torn apart. His flesh was being ripped into pieces.**_

 _ **Pain. So much pain.**_

 _ **Everything was black. All he could hear was the sound of his own screaming and people talking. His screams drowned out the voices, but they sounded so familiar.**_

 _ **'It hurts...' he thought, trying to stay conscious. 'It hurts. Someone, anyone... Make it stop.'**_

"Oi! Wake up!" A familiar voice cut through the pain like a knife.

Yu's eyes snapped open.

Asuramaru was peering down at him, eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Cripes, you like to yell in your sleep." he complained as Yuu pulled himself out of his coffin, pinching the bridge of his nose and trying to get his bearings. "What? You have a bad dream or something?"

"Yeah..." Yuu nodded. "It felt real." He paused when he felt something wet on his cheek. He slid his finger across his cheek and looked at it. "Blood?"

"Tears, actually." his familiar corrected. "Nosferatu cry tears of blood. Mostly when they have to relieve some bad memories. What'd you even see?"

"I..." Yuu licked his lips, finding them rather dry. His throat was sore. "I don't know. I can barely remember. All I felt was pain. And I was screaming."

"If that's the case, then you must have some pretty messed up suppressed memories." His familiar stated. "If they were that bad...makes me wonder what you went through in your previous life."

"...yeah..." He blinked a moment later and stared at Asuramaru in confusion. "Repressed?"

"You seriously haven't noticed?" Asuramaru inquired, raising an eyebrow. "Some of your memories are locked up tight. I figured they were just things you wanted to forget."

"Locked up? But...why would they be locked up...?"

"Beats me. Can't even get close to them inside your head. Something is keeping me out."

Yuu felt confused. Just what could have happened to force his memories to be blocked? Was it from before his time in the orphanage? He did have a shitty life back then. Hell, he couldn't even remember what his old family name used to be.

Shaking his head and pushing the matter for another day, Yuu hopped out of his coffin and grabbed his weapons. Alucard was probably going to subject him to another tortuous training sessions. He strapped the katana to his waist while he slung the Maalik over the shoulder. Ever since Walter gave him his new gun, he's been loving the hell out of it.

Now he knew why Alucard never left without his Cassul.

* * *

Rather than training, Alucard had told him they finally had a new mission. One that apparently involved one of the many branches of the Hellsing Family.

Sometime during the middle of the night, the Eastern Branch of the organization had fallen silent. They were but one of the many that had been requested to search for other vampire cases. Why they fell silent was up in the air, but Integra had already assumed the worst. As such, she had Yuu and the red-clad man head out to Bristol, where the branch was located.

It had taken little time to reach the place, on account of traversing through the shadows and speeding to their destination via transformation. Yuu still had a few problems, barely able to maintain his bat-like form for prolong periods of time, but he was able to keep up with Alucard, who wasted no time and didn't slow down for his fledgling.

"Can you smell it, kid?" Alucard called to him via telepathy as they neared the city. "There's blood in the air. Can you guess why?"

Yuu grimaced. "Is it because Integra-taichou was right and the branch was slaughtered?"

"Exactly. Bloodshed had just taken place. That means the assailants are nearby and on the move." His master smiled as he cocked the Cassul. "I love the thrill of the hunt."

"When don't you?" the boy deadpanned. "I swear, you're obsessed with finding someone who can entertain you. One of these days, you're going to get yourself killed, and I'm going to be laughing."

Alucard did not respond to that. Rather, the man just smiled as they traveled in shadow. Ten minutes later and they dispelled their shadowy forms, returning to physical form. Yuu stumbled forward and nearly fell flat on his face, catching himself in time and panting. Alucard just strode forward like it was nothing. Catching his breath, the boy followed the man. They were currently out on the streets. Oddly, they were utterly devoid of life. Not a single light was lit. No windows illuminated. Not a soul in sight.

"What the hell?" Yuu looked around, trying to search for at least some sign of life, but he found none. Not even a dog or insect was in sight. "Where is everyone? Are they...dead?"

Alucard didn't look at Yuu. "No. They're all just hiding in their rooms. Even though they're human, they can sense something is wrong. Come along, kid. The scent of blood is getting thicker. We're close to the Western Branch."

Yuu nodded and tailed after Alucard. Soon enough, they stood before the building that was the Western Branch of the Hellsing Organization. The scent of blood was pungent in the air. They had definitely found the source.

Abruptly, Yuu found himself frozen in place once the Hellsing Western Branch came into sight. The color drained from his body, all warmth gone and replaced with the urge to vomit.

"What-what...?"

The entire front part of the entrance to the building was littered with corpses. No. It was more accurate to say that someone decided to decorate the entrance with bodies. Stripped naked and flesh ripped open. Copius amounts of blood spilled onto the concrete ground, spilling out into the streets and forming into a river. Some bodies looked more intact than others. The rest were so horribly mutilated it was hard to tell whether or not they were human bodies. Their chests were torn open, exposing red sinews of flesh, ivory whine bones and misshapen lumps of meat that were clumped together.

It was an altar of depravity and gore. And of vulgarity, for the front door was marred with writing, all done in the blood of the corpses that littered the floor.

 _ **"FUCK YOU HELLSING"**_

"Well." Alucard said simply, not at all bothered by the carnage before him. "That's rather creative." He sniffed the air and tilted his head. "And it seems we've walked right into a trap. Why don't you come out? No use hiding. You reek of the blood of these men."

There was no response. Rather, a single figure strode out from the shadows, wearing a dark trench coat. It was hard to make out any discernible features, but Yuu could see that he was a giant. Standing maybe a foot higher than even Alucard. Slowly, the figure raised his head, revealing nothing but ashen gray skin. His right eye was normal and lime green, gazing at them with barely any emotion. His left eye, however, was bigger and was bulging from its socket, not to mention red.

"...Vlad Tepes." the assailant said, his voice raspy. "Also known as the No Life King. Alucard. We finally meet."

Alucard's smile grew. "You don't seem like the run of the mill vampire. Who are you?"

"I have no name. My master calls me Incognito."

"...Incognito? In hiding? That sounds stupid..." Yuu commented off-handedly, somewhat alleviating the tense atmosphere. Incognito then shifted his gaze to Yuu. Suddenly, a cold shudder ran down the young vampire's spine. He felt like someone had just dumped him in a cold bath. _'What is this?'_ the thought in panic, unable to move. _'He's only looking at me, but I can't even move a finger! What's more, I get the feeling that if I look away for even a minute, something bad will happen!'_

"The rumors were true." the vampire said to no one in particular. "You sired one of the Seraphs of the End."

"Oh? So you are aware of them." Alucard said. "But what do you plan to do with this information, I wonder? Report it to your Master to confirm it, perhaps?"

"That is of little concern. My Master only desires one thing." Slowly, Incognito withdrew his arm from his person. Yuu gaped, seeing in the vampire's hand a giant gun. At first, he thought it was a Tommy gun, but the barrel was too short. And the chamber was far too large. "The death of Sir Integra Fairbrook Windgate Hellsing."

Alucard's smile turned feral. "You must have some gall, saying that too my face." he said as he aimed Cassul. "Stand back, kid." The gleam in his eyes was practically animalistic. Bloodlust leaked from Alucard, and his shadow warped and twisted, revealing a multitude of eyes. "This one is _mine_!"

"G-got it." Yuu jumped back away from his master. He was serious about taking on this fight alone. He could see it in his eyes.

The flame of rage and bloodlust.

Alucard did not take threats against his Master lightly. Ever since the day Professor Hellsing staked his heart and bound him forever into the Hellsing Family's service, his loyalty has always been towards that family. Integra would surely not be the last Hellsing he would serve, but she was by far the one that most reminded him of that man. Whoever dared to raise a hand towards her had forever earned his ire, and would find themselves staring down the barrel of his gun.

It didn't matter who this Incognito was.

 _Alucard would tear him limb from limb!_

In unison, the two vampires shot at each other. Alucard's bullet struck the vampire dead in the face, knocking him off his feet and to the ground. The projectile fired by Incognito was worse. When it struck, the result was a plume of fire and smoke that threw Alucard straight into a car, the metal crumpling beneath his weight.

Yuu's eyes widened considerably. "You gotta be shittin' me..." he gaped. "That bastard... He's packing a Grenade Launcher?!"

Incognito did not move. His body simply pulled itself back up without twitching an inch, as if he were a puppet pulled by strings. The bullet that was lodged in his skull was pushed out, falling to the street before he took aim again and fired another explosive round. Alucard din't bother dodging. Instead, he fired off three more shots before the shell struck him again. Each shot hit their mark, but Incognito merely staggered. Not a stumble or a twitch.

"Is that truly the best you have, Alucard?" Incognito mockingly questioned over the gunfire. "Weren't you going to kill me?"

A primal growl tore from Alucard's throat as he pulled himself out of the flaming wreckage. Flowing out of him was black shadows, seeping like ooze. "Releasing Art Restriction to Level 3." he snarled before raising his gun again, firing another barrage. This time, the bullets forced Incognito to retreat. One bullet struck him in the shoulder, causing him to recoil. Another blow a portion of his face off, revealing torn black flesh underneath and shattered bone. Before Incognito could retaliate, Alucard closed the distance and grabbed the man by the face, throwing him down to the ground and unloading a full clip into his face before the barrel of the Grenade Launcher was shoved into Alucard's mouth.

An explosion consumed them both. Alucard's body flew through the air and landed on the ground with a sickening crunch. His face was entirely blown to bits. Nothing but giblets of red chunks, gray matter and bone. Yuu felt his stomach lurch before he casted a glance at Incognito. The smoke settled, revealing him to be standing up to his feet. His coat was partially damaged, revealing an emaciated body underneath the article of clothing. Purple body paint touched his skin along with gold piercings. The fedora hat that covered his head was destroyed, revealing a dome devoid of hair and a third eye drawn in the middle of his forehead.

Flesh shook and quivered as strands formed, pulling and knitting itself together. Flesh reformed, muscle repairing and bone growing back. "What the hell?!" the new born Nosferatu cried. "He took all those bullets, and he just gets back up like he's nothing?!"

"He is no ordinary Nosferatu..." Asuramaru said warily. "Your Master was right to have you stay out of this. This vampire... He is not like the rest of these scrubs. He might be a match for a Third Progenitor!"

Incognito rubbed his chin. "Hm... Impressive." he muttered. "Get up, Alucard. I know you are far from spent."

Alucard's body shook. Darkness shrouded his body as it twisted inhumanely, pulling itself back up. Bones and muscles were pushed back into place. Strands of muscle stretched across the crater that was his face. Veins spread across ivory bone resembling a skull with sharp fangs. Eyes slithered into existence, bulging and full of malice. Then came pale skin, scrawling up the face of horror, followed by flowing black hair from the top of his scalp.

In spite of having his face blown clean off, Alucard looked ecstatic and somehow still livid. "A run of the mill vampire would have died from having so many bullets pumped into them." he said, voice dripping with malice. "You're certainly no Skal, that's for sure. No, you're far from that." His eyes narrowed and a tongue lapped over his fangs. "You're...a True Vampire."

Incognito's lips twitched. "My status is irrelevant." he said. "All that matters is the destruction of Hellsing." His bulging eye glowed menacingly. The shadow that stretched from his form trembled and rippled before it rose, growing larger in size until it was the size of a school bus, draconian in form with wings and a singular bloody red eye in what should have been in its head. "Shall we continue?"

"Let's!" Alucard cheered as his own familiar, Baskerville, snarled into existence.

The familiars of both True Vampires lunged at one another and clashed. Baskerville's claws tore into the scales of its foe while the Winged Serpant sunk its fangs into the beast's hide. Shadows and crimson spilled across the pavement. Alucard and Incognito, meanwhile, struck at one another, trading gunshots. Bullets would blow holes into Incognito. Shells would obliterate chunks of Alucard. It was a brutal cycle. Rinse and repeat.

It was then that Yuu realized that this was not a fight between vampires. Not anymore.

This was a fight between monsters. Creatures that defied human understanding. He understood now why the Skals feared someone like Alucard, for no being in this world could smile or grin in the face of such brutality and bloodshed.

And yet...this very battle sparked a sense of...excitement inside of him. He realized that he was a Nosferatu like them. Their sheer presence alone enough to make a Skal soil themselves.

And someday...those mosquitos will soon fear him as well.

Such a thought brought a smile on his face. If these two were capable of such, then perhaps he would be able to achieve such a thing as well.

Yet such enlightening thoughts did little to help his stomach. The gore he bore witness two as the two vampires tore at each other with their respective weapons was beyond anything one would see in a horror movie. Alucard was purposely slowing down his regeneration, saving this feeling of bloodlust. Incognito shared no such sentiments as his body quickly repaired the damage done. In the background, Baskerville threw the dragon-like shadow into the Western Branch building before clamping down its maw on its neck, causing blood to splurt all across the yard. In an act of defiance, its tail pierced its torso and the two struggled to break out of the other's grasp.

Incognito shot two rounds at Alucard, but the vampire evaded and weaved through them. He reached Incognito in a split second and grinned like a madman before slamming his gun into the bastard's mouth, unloading several rounds into his skull and down his throat. He was only stopped when Incognito tore through the red-clad man's neck, fingers ripping and tearing into flesh before he aimed the Grenade Launcher at the man's head. At such close proximity, even he would feel the damage, yet he pulled the trigger anyway.

Alucard's head exploded into a mess of blood, bone, and gray matter while the shrapnel tore into Incognito's face, the flames burning his flesh. The force of the blast even threw the two away. Alucard bounced off the concrete like a rag doll before his body slammed into a dumpster truck, blood splashing against its metal frame. At the same time, Incognito was thrown straight into a building, where he utterly decimated the wall and sat inside.

At the height of their struggle, Baskervile finally had enough and decided it was time to end this. Putting a claw on the shadowy reptile's body, it began to pull on the creature's neck with all its might. In a frenzy, the beast struggled, but it was in vain. With a violent twist of the head, the familiar of Incognito found its head ripped from its shoulders and thrown aside, bouncing off the ground. Victorious, it released a triumphant howl before it faded back into shadow alongside its defeated opponent.

For a moment, there was only silence. A dreadful one at that, lingering in the air and vastly unsettling. Yuuichiro swallowed the lump in his throat, looking back and forth between the caved in wall where Incognito went through and Alucard's unmoving body.

Then movement came. Alucard's body twitched and writhed on the ground, as if it was unsure what to do. Limbs twisted in ways that were inhumanely possible, meshing bone and flesh before a hand slammed into the ground, digging into the concrete before pulling itself up. Flesh and shadow caked the body, reforming into something that passed as human. "It's been a long time since someone has pushed me to this!" Alucard cackled, utterly thrilled and adrenaline pumping in his body. "Incognito, was it? You're truly far beyond the pathetic whelps I've dealt with up to this point!"

"The feeling..." Incognito's voice came clear in the air as the man stepped out from the building, revealing his body in full. He was devoid of clothes and strangely any genitalia whatsoever, and revealing further piercings and body paint. "...is mutual. You are a dangerous threat to my master's plans."

Alucard practically giggled in delight as he grabbed his shoulder, pushing it upward. A sickening 'crunch' was heard, meaning he had just pushed his arm back into place. "I'll take that as a compliment, but how about we stop playing around?" A chilling dread crawling on Yuu's back, making all his hairs stand on end. A dangerous look had manifested in Alucard's eyes as a thick dark aura began to crawl up his body while his arms moved, forming into something akin to a makeshift picture frame. However, instead of the hands being side ways with only the thumbs meeting the index fingers, all the fingers were extended. The right hand was facing up while the left hand was downward.

Incognito's red eye bulged and twitched and glowed, almost as if responding to this action.

However, before either side could fight to their fullest, something clattered into the street. Then smoke started to feel the area. "What the hell?!" Yuu cried as his vision was suddenly swarmed with white mist. He then started to gag, feeling his eyes water and throat run dry. There was something foul in the air. He couldn't breath. "What is this?!"

Alucard turned sour. "Garlic?" he questioned in disdain. "No. Holy water...?"

"It seems we will have to finish this another time." Incognito remarked. For the first time, he there was an undertone in his voice: disappointment. "A shame. I wanted to see how I would fair against the full might of the Impaler. Another time, then..."

"Wait!" But it was in vain, as Incognito faded out of sight, leaving the two Vampires to suffer the effects of the holy water mist.

For Yuu, it was unbearable. While for Alucard, it was irritating at best. "A shame..." the latter muttered before he turned to Yuu. "Let's go, kid. If you stay in this mist any longer, you'll likely die." He strode past the boy and grabbed his collar, pulling him away before they shifted into black forms, darting through the lifeless streets.

* * *

Unknown to the two, they were being watched from afar. Safely hidden from the carnage that took place.

"Holy fuck that was awesome!" one of the onlookers, a man wearing a blood-stained track suit with a beanie and dark skin, cried in utter astonishment. "I got a massive boner from watching that! Did you see that, my brother?! Now that's the kind of shit I signed up for!"

"Honestly, Jan..." the second observer, dressed in a pristine white suit devoid of stains, sighed as he adjusted his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you have to be so vulgar? Also, I trust you managed to get all the data from that little show."

"Yep, sure did! Shame we didn't get to see that little shit get down and dirty, too. Would've been fucking awesome, I bet." Jan Valentine cracked a wide grin. "So that's the famous crimson fucker, huh? God damn that was legit."

"Indeed. The power of a True Vampire like Alucard is nothing to scoff at. The strength he's shown has definitely done some of the stories justice." Luke Valentine agreed.

"Think you'll be able to take him on?"

Luke shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips. "If Incognito could do it, why shouldn't I?" he said. Comparing himself to Incognito was boasting, if perhaps just hot air, but Luke was confident in his abilities. Especially after what he saw. No matter how powerful Alucard's regeneration, there must be some sort of limit. And when it came to speed, not even Incognito could match him. "At any rate, let's head back. The old man still wants us to provide more data for the FREAK Chips. Once we've done that, Commander Winkle has asked to return to base."

"So that means we can kill and rape a couple more fuckers?" Jan asked with a wide smile, enticed by the prospect of further chaos. "Sweet music to my ears, bro!"

* * *

After returning to the manor and Walter handing Integra the report, a funeral service was being held in honor of the fallen soldiers. The families of these men received due compensation, among other things. It was a sordid affair, as well as a somber one. A dark air seemed to hang around the manor, even as things slowly returned to normal. One thing Yuu had noticed was how irritated Alucard was. Whether it was because he wasn't able to finish his fight with Incognito, or he was angered that the man escaped from his grasp, was unknown to him. He wisely chose to stay out of his "parent" way.

While Yuu was off doing his own thing, perhaps wandering aimlessly around the mansion or studying in his own free time, Integra spoke with Alucard. "Another True Vampire?" she inquired with surprise. "Here?!"

"Yes. He called himself Incognito, though he claimed he had no actual name." Alucard nodded, a grimace on his face. "He was quite powerful. I was about to release my full power, but he escaped."

Walter frowned deeply, rubbing his chin. "If there is a vampire of such caliber here, and that he is working for someone, who could it possibly be?" he inquired. "And more importantly, why assault one of the branches? Wouldn't it simply be easier to attempt an attack on us directly? If he is truly at such a level, dealing with our soldiers would be child's play."

"I suspect it was meant to lure us out and test our strength." Alucard reasoned. "He had a particular interest in the kid. He was even able to tell he was a Seraph of the End."

"And has the boy asked?"

"No, but I can tell he's curious."

"I see. Ensure that he doesn't pry too deep into the matter. A revelation of his true nature at this time could produce disastrous effects." Integra ordered. "As it stands now, he is not ready to know about himself yet."

"Understood." Alucard bowed.

"Good. Onto another matter, before you and Incognito could continue the fight, an unknown third part intervened, correct?"

The red-clad man nodded again. "Yes. They used gas mixed with holy water. Quite a nuisance. The poor brat nearly choked to death." Alucard folded his arms. "Whoever these people are, they're rather serious about declaring war against the Hellsing Organization." His lips spread, revealing his fangs. "How shall I deal with them, Master? Fill them with lead? Tear them limb from limb?"

"Do you even need to ask, Alucard?" Integra took a huff from her cigar. "It is the same as always. Search and destroy."

* * *

"Oi. What are you doing?"

"Looking for something."

"And looking for something equates to you tearing through the library like a madman?"

There were towers of books stacked all around Yuu. He wasn't normally so invested in a book unless it was for academic tutoring purposes, and he sincerely didn't want to face the wrath of Walter for slacking off. Working had been really tiresome for him, especially as he tried to look for something that had been bothering ever since he came back. Something that Incognito had said that was scratching at the back of his head.

Searching the pages for an answer, Yuu gave a sigh and snapped the book shut, tossing it to the pile. "Not here either." he muttered.

"So seriously, what the hell are you looking for?" Asuramaru questioned as he floated in the air, lying on his side with his head in his hand. "As much fun as it is to see you getting irritated, you kind of have my interest."

Yuu was about to tell the familiar off and to return to his shadow, but stopped when a thought came to him. "Hey, Asuramaru." he called to his familiar, turning to face him. "You used to be a bloodsucker, right?"

"Until I had my heart ripped out and became this thing." Asuramaru said flatly. "But yes. I used to be a vampire. Skal, to be precise. Why do you ask?"

"What do you know about this Seraph of the End thing?"

The Former Skal froze as his eyes narrowed in scrutiny. "...why do you want to know?"

"You heard Incognito call me that, right? What the hell even is it?"

Asuramaru grimaced. "They're worse than vampires." he said bluntly, earning a confused look. "As their name implies, they're angels. Servants of God Almighty. Except the Seraph of the End are FAR from righteous. They exist for a single purpose."

"What's that?"

"To bring about the end of the world, and to punish humans who have the nerve to break one of the sacred laws." he answered. Yuu choked. Bring about the end of the world? "Japan got overrun by Skals because humans started dying off 'cause of a virus, right? That was the work of a Seraph of the End who blew on his trumpet."

"Wait, so the adults dying is because of an angel? Why?!"

"Because there was a human stupid enough to break a taboo." the familiar replied in a bored tone. "So long as you don't break the rules, the Seraphs remain dormant and live out normal human lives. But when someone goes and breaks the rules, well, then consider yourself screwed."

Yuu felt his mouth turn dry. He could only accept what Asuramaru told him while he tried to wrap his head around everything. Japan falling to the vampires. The adults dying off. Everyone in the orphanage dropping dead like flies.

All of that, because someone broke a law and called on the angels?

"Incognito called me a Seraph of the End..." Yuu muttered, pressing a hand to his face. "Then, am I...?"

Asuramaru nodded. "Yes. You are an Angel. Partially, anyway. Seems like it's still dormant, now more so because Alucard turned you into a vampire. That being said, I'd appreciate it if you didn't rely on that power." His face scrunched into disgust. "I'm not particularly fond of angels."

Yuu didn't respond. Not after his familiar confirmed the fact that he was an Angel...one of the same Angels who killed all of the adults in Japan. What he didn't understand was why everyone had to pay the price of a single person's sins...

He didn't know who this person or what they were like. But he did know one thing: if they were to ever meet, he would get his answers.

And he was going to gut the bastard.

* * *

Guren felt a cold shiver run down his back and resisted the urge to sneeze. "Somebody must be talking about me, or someone wants to kill me." he muttered as he twirled the wine glass in his hand. "So, remind me again. Why'd you decide to drag me all the way out here, Shinoa? Last I checked, fancy dinners aren't usually your thing."

"Oh, bite your tongue." Shinoa stuck her tongue at him. "Even I enjoy the high life every now and then, though I usually only do so in moderation. Resources are rather scarce, after all. Anyway, I wanted to ask you something." Guren raised an eyebrow. It wasn't every day that the little cocky shit that was Shinoa Hiiragi came asking him about something. And judging by the look on her face, she seemed rather serious. Rather odd, but not unwelcome.

"What is it?"

"It's about what that vampire said. About this No Life King." she said, bringing up the topic from earlier today. "If I remember right, a few weeks back, we also received a report about a man dressed in Western clothing somewhere near Harujuku. This is just a stretch, but do you think...?"

"That it was this famed Alucard?" Guren smirked. "I'd bet my money on that."

"Why would this Alucard come here to Japan? And more importantly..." She looked around, finding that the other patrons in the restaurant were busy and engrossed in other subjects. She leaned in and whispered to her superior officer. "...why would they sire a Seraph of the End that escaped from Sanguinem?"

Guren had no answer to that. Well, any answer that wouldn't reveal his affiliation with Krul and his hosting of Mahiru, at any rate. "I honestly can't say. Thought it does strike me as odd how the vampires were holding one of them, all things considered. If our intelligence and findings are correct, they wanted nothing to do with the Seraph of the End project in the first place."

"Maybe it has something to do with the Overseer?"

 _ **'Oh my, look at you go, little sis.'**_ Mahiru giggled. _**'Got it in one!'**_

"Speaking of which, if there is a new Overseer in charge of the vampires now, we'll have to expect some changes." Guren said, taking a bite of the roasted steak on his plate. It was a little tough. Maybe a bit too bloody. "If the guys in charge of vampires thought the one we were dealing with was incompetent, who knows what the new guy can do?"

* * *

Ever since Krul Tepes had been given the boot and sentenced to daily torture, Ferid had been nothing short but giddy. He was, after all, now free to pursue his own, personal agenda.

Granted, he would need to keep it secret from Lest Karr, the new leader of Sanguinem, as well...this brief reprieve of a transition period gave him just enough time.

Things were certainly interesting, to say the least. He was disappointed that Krul thought a step ahead and had the two darling Seraphs moved away somewhere. He was still trying to find them, but wherever she hid them away was like finding a needle in a haystack, or so the human expression went.

He was unconcerned with the fact that the last Seraph that escaped, that kid who shot him in the head, was now sired by none other than the No Life King. Admittedly, it was alarming, but nothing he should be worried about.

As long as he did nothing to offend the Nosferatu in any way, there was no fear of him coming back to kill him off the face of the planet. That is, assuming Lest wouldn't beat him to it. The man was notorious for his strict demeanor and preference. No doubt that he would order them to work to the bone to take down the JIDA, considering Krul had settled on putting the humans on a stalemate.

It would definitely make things harder for him also, but he'd find a way to make due. For now, though, it was time to go greet his new lord.

"Hey, Bathory." a fellow of his named Crowley spoke to him as they walked with the rest of their brood, heading to the airport to go greet and welcome Lest. "How do you suppose the new Overseer will handle things? To be honest, I rather prefer working with Krul."

Ferid chuckled. "Well, given how he's run Germany, I can guess a few things. Then again, Germany isn't the one that believes it is one of the last bastions of humanity. We're lucky that we managed to cut off all communications, otherwise the No Life King would have hunted us all down the moment we began the invasion."

"True, true." Crowley nodded. "I keep hearing stories of him, but never witnessed his feats in person. But given how his very name strikes fear into the Progenitor Council, he must be quite terrifying."

"If you want stories, you are better off asking Third Progenitors and up." Ferid shrugged. "Honestly, I hope I never meet the man. Or the humans he serves."

"Speaking of humans, I hear the Hyakuya Sect lost another base over in Ireland." the red-haired vampire mentioned, catching Ferid's interest. "It was the handiwork of that human I ran into a few years back. Anderson, I believe his name was."

At the mention of that name, Ferid's lips curled into disgust. "Ugh, him..." he muttered under his breath. "I despise that man with all my still heart." He had every right to do so...given how Alexander Andersen was the person who was just a mere hairbreadth away from killing him when they first met.

Ferid barely escaped with his unlife. The exorcist was completely relentless and fierce. He prided himself for his own talents, and while he didn't like to toot his own horn, he did like to brag every now and then. Alexander Anderson, however, had destroyed any and all pride he had all those years ago. It was even safe to say that he broke whatever image Ferid might have had in his head and reminded him of his status.

One day, he swore he would get his revenge against the bastard and parade his head across the Vatican.

The conversation and chatter soon fell into silence. They had arrived at the airport and patiently waited for their new Overseer to arrive. They wouldn't have to wait long as the blimp had arrived within the hour. Ferid took notice of the man black clothed men on board the blimp, all wearing gas masks with tubes. Red armbands decorated the sleeves, revealing a strange symbol.

 _'That is the swastika, I believe.'_ Ferid noted in his head. _'The symbol of Nazi Germany. Strange. I don't recall Lord Karr having any real interest.'_

The blimp landed. Bindings were soon attached to keep it from floating away, and the docking procedures were underway. Soon, the metal door opened with a weak groan. Stepping out into view was Lest Karr, in all his pint sized glory.

What threw them for a loop, however, was the fact that he was not alone. Behind him was a short obese man dressed in a white suit, glasses hiding his cold eyes from them. Even from here, they could smell him for what he was.

"A human?" Crowley asked, stunned. "Well, this is new. Do you think he's Lord Karr's pet?"

Ferid didn't answer that. Instead, he just stared at the man in wonder before a grin touched his face. _'Well now... This is interesting._ ' He recognized the man. And he had no doubt the man recognized him as well, despite having only met once. Just looking at this fat little human was enough to make Ferid's skin crawl.

It was a delightful feeling.

One of the vampires, a Fifth Progenitor, stepped forward and bowed his head deeply. The motion was soon followed by many others. "Overseer Karr. Welcome to Japan."

"Quite the welcome committee." Lest remarked with a droll before he turned his head to the human behind him. "Thank you for escorting me all this way, Major."

The man laughed. "It was my pleasure." he said, a face-splitting grin present. "However, I do request a favor of you. Please, do show ze Demon Army what war is like."

"Not going to participate?"

" _Nein_. I have more pressing concerns to attend to."

"Back in Europe, I take it?"

" _Ja_. Preparations need to be made. It is only a matter of time before ze Last Batallion makes its mark and wages war on a grand scale."

"Should be quite exhilarating." Lest grinned and nodded. "Until we meet again, you lowborn creature."

"Until we meet again, filthy maggot."

After a trade of farewells and insults, both human and Vampire parted ways. The Major returned to his blimp, though not before he turned to look over his shoulder. At that moment, he and Ferid locked eyes, the latter smirking when he noticed the figures hiding in the shadows past the doorway, all of whom bearing the scent of vampires, but diluted.

Ferid smirked. So it seemed that the man brought his little creations with him. How amusing. They may think that they are vampires...but they lack something crucial.

But then again, maybe they were more than he thought. Who could say, really?

Even so, it was certainly a pleasure to see that amusing little man again. _'Still, I wonder how he looks exactly how he did that day?'_

* * *

It was on the day Berlin had begun to fall apart during World War II that the vampire called Ferid Bathory and the obese man simply called The Major met. Both men could remember that day clearly, as if it were yesterday. The day Berlin had come under siege by the Soviets and burned and scorched. Buildings were set ablaze and left to crumble and topple over their own weight. Soldiers and civilians alike were treated without distinction, killed by the end of a gun.

The Major himself had only been but a nameless soldier, who would have been but one of the many casualties of war. The Soviets were a remarkably cruel bunch, beating him ruthlessly and breaking his otherwise tender bones before shooting him repeatedly. There he was left to lie on the ground, bleeding out and slowly dying.

Strangely, the Major did not care about his death back then. All he could think was how horrible the end was for him, unable to see the end of what would no doubt be a beautiful and magnificent bout of carnage and murder. So many deaths, so much destruction. He wished to see it all.

Perhaps it was the stench of blood that drew Ferid Bathory onto the battlefield. Perhaps it was the feelings the Major expressed in what could have been his last few moments. But it was then that the man laid eyes on a vampire for the first time. In comparison to his first ever meeting with the No Life King, the meeting with Ferid was of little amazement, yet it cemented one's utter fascination with them and all they held.

Back then, Ferid's hair was short. Cut close to the chin, and his face notably more ruthless looking. Wearing nothing but a black uniform with a cloak over his shoulders, he strode towards the Major with a gleam in his eyes. To the Major, Ferid was perhaps a cold angel of death that would have guided him to Hell, for no human on this world could posses such beauty, yet bear such chilling intent behind a smile.

"You there." Ferid said to him, his voice crisp and charming as it was now. "The look in your eyes... It's quite interesting." He kneeled down and pulled out a thin silver blade from his person, dragging it across his palm. Crimson liquid spilled across the ground. A sweet odor filled the Major's nostrils as he watched the blood seemingly begin to flow to him, as if beckoning to him. "Do you want to live and see what hell your kind brings?"

To the Major, vampirism was brilliant. One can cough another's soul like a vintage ice wine and steal everything that defines them. It was deadly, but at the same time beautiful, for it could offer one eternal life and the chance to do whatever they pleased.

But the Major would have none of it, for to him at this moment, what could have been an act of kindness was nothing short than someone spitting on his grave. With a glare, he forced himself to raise his head and look Ferid in the eye, and said but one word,

" **Begone**!"

The Vampire blinked, surprised by the refusal. He assumed that the human would've leaped at the chance to live through this hellish scene. "...may I ask why? You are literally bleeding to death. You have maybe a few minutes at best. After that, you would no longer be a witness to the carnage of this aftermath."

The Major merely smiled back, even as his body grew closer to death by the minute. _"Mein hertz, mein esailer, mein laben_..." he grimaced, struggling to breath. His lungs were on fire, yet even so, he would not break his line of sight. "They belong to _me_! Sharing one's life with another, and they with you. Losing one's self in the borders of the sanguine sea. To gain by losing is nothing but a sweet irony. It is bliss of acquiescence. No, it is _surrender_! So I say to you, stranger..."

" **To hell with you**!" he howled with such ferocity that Ferid found himself reeling back from mere intensity alone. "What's _mine_ is _mine_ alone! _Every_ hair, _every_ drop of blood... They belong to _me_! I am me. I. Am. **_Me_**!"

Ferid stared at the man for what seemed like hours before he cracked a smile, which turned into a series of chuckles. "...How amusing...a human who cherishes his humanity so closely...very well." Ferid closed his open hand, letting the wound seal back up. "Enjoy whatever time you have left..."

And so the vampire vanished into the flames. It would be the last meeting the Major and Ferid would ever have until the next few decades...

* * *

VAMPIRE REQUIEM

\- Chapter 3 of 5 -

* * *

 _And now, O Kings, be ye wise._

 _Be admonished, ye judges of the earth!_

 _Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling!_

 _Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, though his wrath be swiftly kindled._

 _AMEN._

 **The Number of Chapters for this arc is shortened namely in part due to a lack of content that I would be able to make. However, to make up for the lack of content, the remaining two chapters will be absurdly long. And suitably bloody.**


End file.
